Jim D'Itri, Jr. Named Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Chief Financial Officer
July 16, 2026 | General
IRVINE, Calif. — UC Irvine Athletics names Jim D'Itri, Jr. as Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Chief Financial Officer, effective August 1, 2026.
D'Itri brings 20 years of distinguished senior finance leadership to UCI Athletics, most recently serving as the principal financial advisor to the Commanding General of I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, where he oversaw a $550 million annual operating budget and led a 22-person finance team. He has also served extensively overseas, including as the senior financial officer for a Joint Task Force operating across the Pacific region. A Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps, D'Itri retires from active duty this summer following a career that placed him at the highest levels of defense finance and government leadership.
Prior to his most recent role, D'Itri directed fiscal management for a $750 million annual operating budget with U.S. Marine Forces, Pacific, and co-led development of a five-year, $20 billion integrated capital investment and financial plan.
"D'Itri brings a rare combination of strategic vision, financial expertise, and leadership experience that will be a tremendous asset to our program. His distinguished career across some of the most complex and demanding organizations in the country has prepared him exceptionally well to help guide the future of UCI Athletics. We are confident he will be a transformative addition to our staff and we look forward to the impact he will make on our student-athletes and our Division I program." – Paula Smith, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
His career also includes distinguished service as a Congressional Appropriations Liaison for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller, where he supported $60 billion in annual defense budget submissions, as well as service as a Project Manager and Research Analyst for the Defense Business Board, an advisory committee to the Secretary of Defense, and a Congressional Fellow in the office of the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. He also contributed to the Marine Corps achieving its first-ever clean audit opinion, one of the most significant financial management milestones in the history of the U.S. military.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, D'Itri holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from Bucknell University, a Master of Arts through the Marine Corps, and has completed executive education at the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business. He also holds the DoW's highest professional certification in financial management.
"Twenty years of military service taught me that the most rewarding work happens when financial discipline serves a mission that genuinely matters. UCI Athletics embodies exactly that spirit, with an unwavering commitment to developing young people as both elite competitors and future leaders. I am honored to join this exceptional team and look forward to bringing that same dedication to everything this department is building." – Jim D'Itri, Jr.
