Christine Wilkinson's service, leadership honored with 2 awards

Christine Kajikawa Wilkinson recently received two honors recognizing her career that has been dedicated to education and leadership with an extensive history of community service. 

The Tempe Community Council named Wilkinson the recipient of its Don Carlos Humanitarian Award, presented at an awards ceremony Wednesday evening. The Don Carlos Humanitarian Award, which honors those who have dedicated their lives to giving back and caring for others, is named after Tempe’s founder, Charles Trumbull Hayden, who was known as Don Carlos. Her parents, Margaret and William Kajikawa, received the same award in 1986 for their commitment to Tempe.

AZ Business Magazine named Wilkinson to the 2018 list of the Most Influential Women in Arizona, which recognizes women who demonstrate professional excellence, innovation and community impact. AZ Business Magazine featured the list in its July/August edition of the publication and held an awards reception in Phoenix on Aug. 23.

Wilkinson’s current roles at ASU are senior vice president and secretary of the university; president and CEO of the ASU Alumni Association; managing director of the Trustees of ASU; and a tenured faculty member in the division of educational leadership and innovation in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Other positions at the university she has held include vice president for student affairs, vice president in the Office of the President, and interim director of intercollegiate athletics on three occasions.

Her community involvement includes serving on the following boards: Arizona Business Leadership Association, Valley of the Sun United Way, and Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center. She also serves on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America National Leadership Council. Wilkinson is a member of the ASU Foundation’s Women and Philanthropy Program and the Arizona Women’s Forum.

For her leadership, contributions and commitment to service, Wilkinson has received the following honors and awards: Most Admired Leader Lifetime Achievement Award by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2017, induction into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017, the Golden Saguaro Award in 2016 by the Japanese American Citizens League, the Tempe Business Woman of the Year in 2014, One of Arizona’s 48 Most Intriguing Women in 2012 as part of the Arizona Centennial Legacy Project and the Woman of the Year in 2009 by Valley Leadership.