Boston Chron - Mayor Michelle Wu Appoints Ava Callender Concepcion as Chair of Boston Licensing Board

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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.

"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," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "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."

Concepcion succeeds Kathleen Joyce, who has served as Executive Director of MOCAL and Chair of the Boston Licensing Board since 2018. In 2019, she stepped into the role of inaugural Chair of the Boston Cannabis Board. During her tenure, Boston implemented significant licensing reforms, expanded neighborhood access to liquor licenses, and supported the continued growth of the city's restaurant, hospitality, entertainment, and special events industries. Joyce was instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping restaurants, bars, and small businesses navigate outdoor dining and emergency licensing programs while balancing economic recovery, public safety, and neighborhood quality of life. More recently, she implemented a streamlined process for bars and restaurants to extend their hours and participate in open container zones during the summer of 2026.

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A longtime resident of Boston, Ava Concepcion has spent her career at the intersection of equity, opportunity, and public safety. Most recently, Concepcion has served as a Commissioner on the Boston Licensing Board, where she has helped support the implementation of Boston's expansion of neighborhood-restricted liquor licenses, which has helped advance equitable economic development and build generational wealth across the city.

"Boston's licensing system shapes the fabric and direction of our neighborhoods," said Ava Callendar Concepcion. "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."

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.

"Ava's exceptional regulatory background and deep community roots make her a great leader to ensure our licensing system acts as an engine for neighborhood wealth," said Emily Knight, Economic Development Chief. "I am incredibly excited to partner closely with her to advance Mayor Wu's vision and lift up the local entrepreneurs and small businesses who keep Boston vibrant."

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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.

Concepcion's appointment highlights the Wu administration's focus on supporting the growth of Boston's businesses across neighborhoods while expanding access to investment and opportunities created by the city's strong economy.

Concepcion was recognized in 2023 as a Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree and a Cannabis Equity Champion by Equitable Opportunities Now. In 2022, she was named one of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce's Ten Outstanding Young Leaders and one of Johnson C. Smith University's 40 Under Forty extraordinary alumni. She served on the boards of United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley and the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association.

Concepcion is a graduate of New England Law in Boston and has been a member of the Massachusetts Bar since 2016. She holds a B.A. in Criminology from Johnson C. Smith University and is a graduate of Boston Latin Academy. Concepcion was raised in Mattapan and remains a resident with her husband David and two sons.

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