With Kathy Tilque deciding not to run for re-election and Scott Anderson looking to move up to mayor, Gilbert will have two vacant seats up for grabs with no incumbent in the 2024 elections.
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With Kathy Tilque deciding not to run for re-election and Scott Anderson looking to move up to mayor, Gilbert will have two vacant seats up for grabs with no incumbent in the 2024 elections.
Four residents who have not held elected office are vying for those two seats, likely to be decided at the July 30 primary election. If a runoff is required, it will held with the Nov. 5 general election.
Here are their biographies:
Aaron Accurso, Gilbert Town Council candidate
Aaron Accurso
Aaron Accurso was born in Southern California and raised in a military family who was transferred around the country.
He attended the College of William and Mary, graduating with a bachelor’s of business administration, with an emphasis in accounting.
Upon graduation, he worked for Ferguson Enterprises for 17 years as a buyer, branch credit manager, branch operations manager and regional purchasing manager. From there he took a few years to work and serve on behalf of the Catholic Church. Currently, Accurso works for Poco Verde Pools & Landscaping and serves as its construction manager.
He and his wife, Christine, have been married for 24 years and raised their three children in Gilbert. He regularly attends St. Anne’s Catholic Church.
Kenny Buckland, Gilbert Town Council candidate
Kenny Buckland
Kenny Buckland has enjoyed a career in law enforcement. He served as second in command of a large police department, then as a leader in long-range surveillance technology focusing on protecting national borders.
Currently, he serves as the senior sales director at a second-chance company. Buckland holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Command College and Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.
Buckland and his wife of 10 years have a blended family of five adult children and cherish their time with their two grandchildren.
Fun Fact: Buckland won the gold medal in the 1984 Junior Olympics in Los Angeles and holds a third-degree black belt in Judo.
Monte Lyons, Gilbert Town Council candidate
Monte Lyons
Monte Lyons is a United States Air Force veteran who has worked in the aerospace industry for more than 40 years.
He holds three degrees, including a master’s in ADR. His career in aerospace included roles in manufacturing, quality, facilities, tooling, business operations, flight test and operations.
Lyons has been married to his wife for 40 years; they have seven children and seven grandchildren. They have lived in Gilbert since 2019.
Fun Fact: Lyons has supported the space program in the Air Force and as a Boeing employee. As a result of his career, he has lived in seven states and visited 38 of the 50.
Noah Mundt
Noah Mundt has enjoyed a career in energy, water and infrastructure.
Currently, he leads as a senior engineer within the electric vehicle group at Salt River Project, where he has a role in shaping the future of electric vehicle integration.
Outside of SRP, Mundt serves as the chairman of the Gilbert Planning Commission and is the founder and former president of Nexus Integrated Solutions. He was named Phoenix Business Journal’s 2018 40 under 40 and recognized for his leadership and involvement as a member of the 2023 class of the Flinn-Brown Fellowship through the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership.
Fun Fact: Mundt once immersed himself in the world of powerlifting, and he bench-pressed more than 600 pounds and deadlifted 800.
Raised in Arizona, Tom Blodgett has spent more than 35 years in journalism in Arizona and joined Independent Newsmedia in July 2022 to launch the Gilbert edition. He is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication from 2005-19 and remains editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet.
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