Thanks to Universal Hub for the hat tip on this one …
It has been a while since the name Ava Callender Concepcion came up in licensing discussions around Massachusetts. The former member (and for a time acting chair of) the Cannabis Control Commission made a definite mark in a tenure that spanned her appointment by Gov. Maura Healey in January 2021 to her exit nearly a year ago.
Callender Concepcion was at the center of a lot of changes, tedious and massive legislative overhauls that she tackled head-on, and more than a few dust-ups along the way. As we reported last November …
The announcement probably didn’t surprise anyone who works for or follows the agency closely, including licensees and other stakeholders who watch commission meetings. Though she was active on the body for several years, leading the charge on multiple issues and steering the CCC through tedious regulatory rewrites, Commissioner Concepcion has not regularly attended public meetings for several months.
The following is from her new place of employ …
Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the appointment of Ava Callender Concepcion as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing (MOCAL), Chair of the Boston Licensing Board, and Chair of the Boston Cannabis Board. Concepcion will begin serving in these roles on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, succeeding Kathleen Joyce, who has served as Chair and Executive Director since 2018.
In these roles, Concepcion will lead both the Boston Licensing Board’s work to grant and regulate alcohol and food licenses for restaurants, nightclubs, and other establishments, and the Boston Cannabis Board’s review of cannabis applicants. She will also oversee the Entertainment Licensing, Outdoor Public Events, and Consumer Affairs.
Prior to her work with the City of Boston, Concepcion served as Acting Chair and a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, the state agency responsible for licensing, compliance, and policy development across the Commonwealth’s legal cannabis industry. Concepcion was first appointed to the public safety seat on the commission by then-Attorney General Maura Healey in 2021. In these roles, she helped govern a $7 billion industry with more than 640 licensees and led a 135 person agency. During her tenure on the Commission, the agency successfully advocated for the creation of the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund and advanced equitable opportunities for CORI employment. As Acting Chair, Concepcion built and sustained key relationships with state legislators, municipal officials, agency partners, and industry stakeholders.
In addition to extensive experience as a senior regulator of two of the most heavily regulated consumer industries in the country, Concepcion has over a decade of experience at the local, state and federal level. Before her regulatory roles, Concepcion served as the Director of Governmental Affairs and External Partnerships for Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and Counsel to the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. In the State Senate, Concepcion played a key role in the passage of a comprehensive legislative package designed to reduce crime and improve public safety in the Commonwealth. She also previously served in the office of former U.S. Majority Whip James E. Clyburn and the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board; and was a candidate for Boston City Council.
“Boston’s licensing system shapes the fabric and direction of our neighborhoods,” Ava Callendar Concepcion said in a media statement. “I’ve dedicated my career to ensuring all of Boston’s communities have access to meaningful opportunities and that our regulatory agencies address issues impacting our businesses and adjudicate matters effectively. I’m thankful to Mayor Wu for the opportunity to give back to the city and community that raised me and look forward to advancing Consumer Affairs & Licensing’s critical work.”
“We are grateful for Kathleen Joyce’s years of service guiding the Consumer Affairs and Licensing boards’ critical work to help entrepreneurs open and expand their businesses across the City, and we look forward to seeing Ava Callender Concepcion build on this progress,” Mayor Michelle Wu added.
“Ava Callender Concepcion has spent her career connecting residents to economic opportunity and leading important regulatory agencies. Ava knows our neighborhoods inside and out, and understands that our work must center the people and businesses that anchor our communities. I’m thrilled to appoint her to this critical position and look forward to her leadership in bolstering our local businesses, strengthening our economy, and creating opportunity citywide.”
