Mayor Michelle Wu has named Ava Callender Concepcion, a former acting chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, as the next chair of the Boston Licensing Board, the city announced this week. Concepcion will start on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, taking over three linked jobs: executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing (MOCAL), chair of the Licensing Board and chair of the Boston Cannabis Board.
She succeeds Kathleen Joyce, who has led MOCAL and the Licensing Board since 2018 and became the first chair of the Cannabis Board in 2019, according to the City of Boston’s announcement. Wu first mentioned the pick on Oct. 27, when she rolled out restaurant zoning reforms meant to cut reopening times for restaurants that change owners.
What the Boston Licensing Board chair controls
The post is one of the most consequential regulatory jobs in city government for restaurants, bars and nightlife. Per the city, Concepcion will oversee:
- The Boston Licensing Board, which grants and regulates alcohol and food licenses for restaurants, nightclubs and other establishments.
- The Boston Cannabis Board, which reviews applicants for cannabis businesses in the city.
- Entertainment licensing, outdoor public events permits and the city’s Consumer Affairs office.
By the numbers
No vote count applies here because the chair is a mayoral appointment, so the key figures from the city’s announcement are summarized below.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Start date | Nov. 4, 2026 |
| Boards and offices she will chair or lead | 3 (MOCAL, Licensing Board, Cannabis Board) |
| Predecessor’s tenure | Kathleen Joyce, 2018 to 2026 (about 8 years) |
| State cannabis industry she helped govern | About $7 billion; more than 640 licensees |
| Cannabis Control Commission staff she led | 135 people |
| Massachusetts Bar member since | 2016 |
Source: City of Boston, Oct. 2026; table: The Boston Report
Concepcion’s record in state and city government
Concepcion has most recently served as a commissioner on the Boston Licensing Board itself, where, according to the city, she worked on carrying out Boston’s expansion of neighborhood-restricted liquor licenses.
Before that she was a commissioner and later acting chair of the state Cannabis Control Commission, the agency that licenses and regulates the legal cannabis industry in Massachusetts. She was first appointed to the commission’s public safety seat in 2021 by Maura Healey, who was then attorney general. The city says that during her tenure the commission pushed for the creation of the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund.
Her earlier jobs include director of governmental affairs and external partnerships at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and counsel to the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary. She also worked in the office of U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn and at the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board, and she once ran for Boston City Council, according to the city.
Concepcion grew up in Mattapan and still lives there, the city said. She graduated from Boston Latin Academy, holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Johnson C. Smith University and earned her law degree at New England Law in Boston.
What officials said
“Ava Callender Concepcion has spent her career connecting residents to economic opportunity and leading important regulatory agencies,” Wu said in the city’s release. The mayor also thanked Joyce for “years of service guiding the Consumer Affairs and Licensing boards’ critical work.”
“Boston’s licensing system shapes the fabric and direction of our neighborhoods,” Concepcion said in the release. Economic Development Chief Emily Knight said Concepcion’s background would help “ensure our licensing system acts as an engine for neighborhood wealth.”
What Joyce leaves behind
The city credits Joyce with licensing reforms, wider neighborhood access to liquor licenses and emergency programs, including outdoor dining, that helped restaurants and bars during the COVID-19 pandemic. In summer 2026 she put in place a faster process for bars and restaurants to extend their hours and take part in open container zones, the city said.
What to watch next
The Licensing Board holds regular public hearings on new licenses, transfers and violations. The change in leadership comes as the city’s restaurant zoning proposals head to the Boston Planning and Development Agency board and the Zoning Commission. Track related votes in our Boston City Hall tracker and public meetings in the Boston events calendar.
Sources
- City of Boston: Mayor Michelle Wu Appoints Ava Callender Concepcion as Chair of Boston Licensing Board
- City of Boston: Mayor Michelle Wu Announces Zoning Reforms To Make It Easier To Open and Run A Restaurant
- City of Boston: Licensing Board
Additional sources
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