Georgia Tech Alumni Association President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Irwin announced today he is retiring effective February 28, 2019. Irwin has been in the role since 1999.

“Under Joe’s direction, Roll Call, Georgia Tech’s Fund for Excellence, has raised more than $100 million in unrestricted dollars for Georgia Tech,” said Bird Blitch, chair of the Alumni Association. “This impact can be felt by countless students who have attended Georgia Tech on a scholarship, and it can be seen in the many state-of-the-art campus facilities and world-class programs found at Tech. Joe’s impact will be felt for years to come as he leaves a Georgia Tech that has become a top-10 public research university. He will be missed, and we celebrate his countless accomplishments.” 

Irwin graduated from Georgia Tech in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management degree and did graduate work at the University of North Texas. Prior to his current role, he was president of the JERZEES Division of Russell Corporation, an apparel manufacturing and marketing company. 

During Irwin’s tenure, the number of Georgia Tech alumni increased from 90,000 to more than 163,000.

“Joe has been driven by a passion to advance Georgia Tech,” said President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “He has worked diligently to strengthen the Institute’s connection to its alumni and build support for its mission.”

Irwin is a former president of the Council of Alumni Association Executives, a group of the nation’s leading alumni associations; a former commissioner on the Alumni Relations Commission of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE); and a member of the Self-Governed Alumni Forum (SGAF).

“The opportunity to serve Georgia Tech and its alumni for the past 19 years has been the highlight of my career,” Irwin said. “We have seen amazing growth during this time, and I am proud to have represented our incredible alumni. It is my honor to have been part of the trajectory that has characterized Georgia Tech under the direction of two great presidents in Wayne Clough and Bud Peterson.”

The Alumni Association is a separate organization affiliated with Georgia Tech. Bill Todd, a 1971 graduate and current professor of the practice in the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business, will serve as interim president and CEO of the Alumni Association while a national search is conducted. He is also a former chair of the Alumni Association. The president and CEO is responsible for general supervision and oversight of all operations and personnel reporting directly to the association’s Executive Committee.