Bay FC has finally filled its top front-office chair, naming Stacy Johns as chief executive officer after a months-long search and doing it just weeks before the club kicks off its third NWSL season. Johns is set to start in early March and will oversee the club’s commercial, ticketing and game-day operations. For fans and sponsors, the move signals that ownership wants a CEO who can turn all that buzz into reliable, repeat revenue.
In a press release from Bay FC, the club said Johns will report to co-chair Alan Waxman, with interim president Russell Wolff helping guide the handoff. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to step into the role of CEO to help drive the club towards its ambitions,” Johns said in the announcement. The release notes she will officially begin on March 2, less than two weeks before Bay FC’s March 14 home opener at PayPal Park.
From LAFC To Bay FC
Johns arrives from the Los Angeles Football Club, where she rose to chief business officer and helped shape the club’s stadium and sponsorship strategy. According to Sports Business Journal, her résumé in Los Angeles includes negotiating a marquee stadium naming-rights deal and helping position LAFC among the most valuable franchises in MLS. Bay FC’s owners have pointed to that commercial track record as a core reason she landed the job.
What Johns Says She’ll Focus On
Speaking with The San Francisco Standard, Johns said she plans to zero in on sharpening the match-day experience and deepening supporter culture at PayPal Park. She also highlighted off-field support for players, including career development and financial literacy programs.
Front-office Context
Bay FC parted ways with founding CEO Brady Stewart last October, describing the move as part of a shift into a new phase of growth in an October statement. That decision triggered a search for a permanent chief executive while interim leadership kept day-to-day operations moving and continued to build out the club’s commercial staff.
Search, Staffing, And Attendance
Sports Business Journal reported that executive search firm Spencer Stuart led the CEO hunt and that Bay FC brought in Brenden Mallette as chief revenue officer during the interim stretch. The outlet also noted that Bay FC averaged about 14,823 fans per match in 2025, a number boosted significantly by a 40,091 sellout at Oracle Park. Without that one-off, attendance at PayPal Park trended lower. Those figures outline Johns’ immediate mandate: build a steadier home crowd while growing sponsorship revenue.
Johns steps into a club that has a high ceiling and not much runway, since she starts on March 2 and the home opener lands on March 14. Early moves on supporter culture, in-stadium promotions and partner activation will be watched closely. If her LAFC playbook on stadium strategy and sponsorship carries over, Bay FC’s next chapter will likely be judged by more consistent attendance, fuller suites and thicker corporate ties.
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