Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, just southeast of Phoenix, within the Phoenix metropolitan area. Gilbert was recognized in 2010 as the "36th Best Place to Live in the nation", as well as among the nation's "top places to live and learn" by GreatSchools.org. Washington-based C.Q. Press rated Gilbert the "safest municipality in Arizona, and 24th safest in the nation," in their annual report released November 2009 using FBI statistics. Gilbert's Cosmo Dog Park has twice made Dog Fancy magazine's list of top dog parks in the nation since opening in 2006, including being named Dog Park of the Year in 2007. The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is recognized by the National Audubon Society as being an "Important Bird Area". Gilbert has been named as a "bicycle-" and "tree-friendly" community and receives "high satisfaction rates" from citizens in town surveys.

Today, Gilbert encompasses 76 square miles (197 km²) and has made a rapid transformation from an agriculture-based community to an economically diverse suburban center located in the southeast valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. In the last two decades, Gilbert has grown at an extremely high rate, increasing in population from 5,717 in 1980 to 208,453 as of a 2010 Census Bureau estimate. Gilbert has evolved into a highly educated and affluent community supporting high-wage jobs in life science and health services, high technology, clean and renewable energy, and corporate and regional headquarters/offices in advanced business services.

Matthew "Matt" Guion Maher (born November 10, 1974) is a contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, songwriter, and worship leader originally from Newfoundland, Canada, who later relocated to Tempe, Arizona. He has written and produced five solo albums to date. Three of his albums have reached the Top 25 Christian Albums Billboard chart and four of his singles have reached the Top 25 Christian Songs chart. He is a practising Catholic.

Maher was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada. His parents recognized his musical talent, and he grew up taking piano lessons and immersing himself in a broad variety of music and playing in concert and jazz ensembles, singing in a choir, and playing in a garage rock band.

Maher received a scholarship from the Jazz Department at Arizona State University, where he studied Jazz Piano and got his music degree. He paid for his first three years of college by playing piano in a hotel.

Matt currently lives in Tempe, Arizona. He is involved in building community at Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish. He married Kristin Fisher on September 10, 2010. Their son, Michael Conor, was born on August 1, 2011.