SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson has announced the appointment of Kacy Irwin as Associate Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer for the Conference. Irwin joins the WCC’s senior leadership team, where she will oversee the Conference’s financial strategy and business operations.
 
She comes to the WCC after an eight-year tenure at the University of California, Berkeley. She most recently served as Cal’s Assistant Athletics Director for Financial Operations and Athletics Gender Equity.
 
“I am thrilled to welcome Kacy to the WCC,” Jackson said. “She joins our team with extensive managerial experience and is a collaborative leader who possesses a sharp financial acumen to oversee our business operations. Kacy is a valuable addition to our leadership team.”  
 
During her time at Cal, Irwin had oversight of the athletic department’s financial transactions, while supervising the business office staff. She assisted with the budget creation for a $100 million-plus annual operating budget. Irwin led the annual Title IX and Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) participation counting procedures, and reviewed all areas of Cal Athletics’ resources with a gender-equity lens.
 
She also served as sport administrator for beach volleyball at Cal, supervising and supporting the program in all areas.

In addition to her administrative roles at Cal, since 2018, Irwin has been a part of the Accelerator Program for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Justice. She was also a Co-Chair of Cal’s Title IX Celebration Committee.
 
“I am grateful to Stu Jackson and the rest of the conference leadership team for affording me this opportunity,” Irwin said. “I am honored to join the West Coast Conference in supporting the incredible institutions of the WCC. The long-standing commitment to innovation while combining excellence in athletics with excellence in academics through a holistic education aligns perfectly with my own values and I look forward to contributing to that mission.”
 
Prior to her arrival in Berkeley, Irwin worked at her alma mater, Columbia University, as the Athletics Business Manager of Travel Operations from 2011 to 2015 after previously serving as the Assistant Director of Facilities Operations at Columbia from 2007 to 2011. As the Business Manager of Travel Operations, Irwin managed all aspects of department travel. She provided administrative, human resources and financial support for a $12 million-plus annual operating budget.
 
Irwin is a two-time graduate of Columbia University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a concentration in sociology, in 2007, while competing on the Columbia softball team as a two-year captain four-year starter at third base. She earned a master’s degree in science and sports management from Columbia in 2010.
 
Irwin will officially join the WCC on July 24 and lead the Conference’s business operations, following the retirement of Glenn Layendecker. Layendecker has served as the WCC’s CFO since 2014. He has overseen the business operations at the Conference office and at the University of Portland, along with other leadership roles during a successful career that spans more than three decades.  
 
“We are very fortunate for Glenn’s exemplary service as the leader of our business operations for nearly a decade, and we will miss him dearly,” Jackson said. “I appreciate all of his work to help make the CFO transition as seamless as possible and am grateful for his efforts to position us for continued financial success. On behalf of everyone at the WCC, I wish Glenn a happy and healthy retirement.”