Gavin Buckley (born 8 February 1963) is a South African-born Australian-American[nb 1] politician and former restaurateur who has been the mayor of Annapolis, Maryland since 2017.

Born in South Africa and raised primarily in Perth, Western Australia, he moved to Annapolis in 1992, eventually opening multiple bars and restaurants in the city.

[1] Gavin Buckley was born in Boksburg, South Africa, and lived briefly in London before growing up in Perth, Western Australia.

[8] Buckley eventually settled in Annapolis, Maryland, where he began a business career, first opening a coffee shop called The Moon, and later four restaurants in the West Street area (Tsunami Seafood, The Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge, Lemongrass Thai and Sailor Oyster Bar,).

[8] A dispute with the local Historic Preservation Committee in 2015 over a large mural on the outside of Buckley's Tsunami restaurant brought him to public attention in municipal politics.

[1][16] Throughout the controversy, Buckley argued that Annapolis's economic development depended on loosening historic preservation policies, saying "We have to celebrate our history, but you can't get stuck in it.

Work with the Naval Academy has included the development of a comprehensive flood mitigation plan that addresses the combined effects of land subsidence, sea level rise, coastal flooding/storm surge and stormwater management.