Gary Allen Podesto (October 19, 1941 – June 29, 2023) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 75th mayor of Stockton, California from 1997 until 2005.

He went to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin later that year but left when the football team was cut.

[4] After graduating from Santa Clara University, Podesto managed his father's Don Quick grocery store in Tracy, California.

[5] Podesto sold his stores in 1996 and soon after declared his candidacy for mayor, spending what was then a local record of $206,000 on the campaign.

The Gary and Janice Podesto Teen Impact Center in Stockton is named after the former mayor and his wife.