When Michael Elliott talks about how he arrived in Gilbert’s top parks and recreation role, he does not pretend the journey followed a straight line.
“I got a very weird path,” Elliott said with a laugh, describing a career shaped by military service, higher education, arena management and rapid advancement in municipal parks leadership.
Elliott, who began serving as Gilbert’s parks and recreation director in December, grew up in Atlanta and joined the U.S. Army after high school. He served for eight years, deployed multiple times and met his wife while both were in uniform.
