Ava Callender Concepcion

Ava Callender Concepcion is a member of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. Commissioner Concepcion has an extensive background in public safety and experience working with a range of stakeholders including law enforcement, advocacy organizations, and constituents on important policy matters.

As a lifelong resident of Boston, Commissioner Concepcion has dedicated her career to social justice. Most recently, she served as Director of Governmental Affairs and External Partnerships for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office where she advised on legislation and policy.

As Counsel to Senator William Brownsberger, Commissioner Concepcion served as staff to the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Conference Committee on the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2018, a comprehensive legislative package designed to reduce crime and improve public safety. In that role, she gained extensive experience working with a range of public safety stakeholders, advocates, and constituents.

Commissioner Concepcion is a graduate of New England Law | Boston and a member of the Massachusetts Bar. She holds a B.A. in Criminology from Johnson C. Smith University and is a graduate of Boston Latin Academy.

Commissioner Concepcion started her career as a Victim Witness Advocate in Boston Municipal Court where she worked with victims and survivors, and provided crisis intervention and in-court guidance to victims and families suffering from crime-related trauma.