Commission
Bruce Stebbins
Acting Chair / Commissioner
Bruce.Stebbins@CCCMass.com
Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins most recently served as a Commissioner for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the agency responsible for implementing and overseeing the expanded gaming law. Acting Chair Stebbins assisted with drafting regulations, operationalizing the agency, and awarding the first casino licenses. He focused on community mitigation and effectuating the Expanded Gaming Act, focusing on workforce development, employment, diversity goals, and small business opportunities.
Before joining the Gaming Commission, Acting Chair Stebbins was the Business Development Administrator for the City of Springfield and served two terms on the Springfield City Council from 2006 through 2009. He also served as Senior Regional Manager for the National Association of Manufacturers in the New England region from 1999 through 2010.
Acting Chair Stebbins served in two Massachusetts administrations as a regional director, deputy director, and then head of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. His government experience also includes work in the Office of Political Affairs at the White House.
Acting Chair Stebbins holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The George Washington University.
Ava Callender Concepcion
Commissioner
Ava.Concepcion@CCCMass.com
Ava Callender Concepcion was appointed to the public safety seat of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission in 2021 by then-Attorney General Maura Healey. 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.
While serving on the Commission, Commissioner Concepcion created an Executive and Legislative Outreach Strategy that was instrumental in the agency’s successful advocacy for the creation of the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund and other equity-focused reforms. During the Commission’s 2023 regulatory review process, she was the only Commissioner to serve on every regulatory working group tasked with reviewing and updating regulations to comply with Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022: An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry, and oversaw the final approval of the agency’s counterpart regulations that were subsequently promulgated by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. As part of that process, Commissioner Concepcion also spearheaded changes to suitability regulations that will create more opportunities for CORI friendly employment. She also co-sponsored the December 2023 policy change that Commissioners approved to ultimately allow delivery operators to have just one agent in a delivery vehicle, instead of the current requirement of two agents.
As a lifelong resident of Boston, Commissioner Concepcion has dedicated her career to social justice. Prior to her tenure at the Commission, she served as the Director of Governmental Affairs and External Partnerships for Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins. As Counsel to State Senator William Brownsberger, she served as staff to the Chair of the Joint 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. There, Commissioner Concepcion played a key role in drafting many of the bill’s original components and assembling the final language.
The Commissioner’s prior experience also includes working in the offices of U.S. Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, and the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board. She is also a former Victim Witness Advocate and was a candidate for Boston City Council.
Commissioner Concepcion was recognized in 2023 as a Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree and a Cannabis Equity Champion by Equitable Opportunities Now. That year, she also graduated from the Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program (YALP) and was honored by CBS News during Black History Month. In 2022, Commissioner Concepcion 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 currently serves on the boards of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley, the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, and the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus PAC.
Commissioner Concepcion has written several op-eds, and has been featured in the Boston Globe, Commonwealth Beacon, MarketWatch, NBC News 10, and CBS News, among other outlets.
Commissioner 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 the HBCU Johnson C. Smith University, and is currently pursuing an MBA at the Boston College Carroll School of Management.
Kimberly Roy
Commissioner
Kimberly.Roy@CCCMass.com
Commissioner Kimberly Roy was appointed to the Cannabis Control Commission in July 2021 by former Governor Charlie Baker. Since then, Commissioner Roy has worked on several notable projects, including a partnership with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, AAA Northeast, and additional stakeholders to create and implement Shifting Gears, a curriculum to educate teens on the risks of cannabis-impaired driving–the first of its kind in the nation. Commissioner Roy is passionate about educating the public about responsible consumption and youth prevention, and has penned several op-eds to this end. In her capacity as Commissioner, she conducts community outreach to senior citizens, local public health organizations, and other constituents. She is an advocate for cannabis research and public education funding, as well as removing barriers to veterans’ access to medical marijuana. Currently, Commissioner Roy serves as the duly elected Secretary for the Commission and oversees the work of the agency’s Host Community Agreement (HCA) Working Group, which reviewed and drafted the Commission’s HCA regulations to comply with Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022: An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry. She is also the liaison to the research subcommittee of the Cannabis Advisory Board.
Commissioner Roy has an extensive background in public safety and substance use disorder prevention having served the past decade as a member of the leadership team at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. In her capacity as Director of External Affairs and Communications Director, Commissioner Roy oversaw the Department’s public and media relations and community outreach programs and co-authored its Face2Face substance use disorder prevention and education program, which recognizes the impact of the addiction crisis on the criminal justice system and focuses on youth.
In addition, Commissioner Roy also served as Director of the Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff’s Association, which sponsors annual charitable events including the Sheriff’s Annual Senior Picnic, Winter Coat Drive, Organic Farm Distribution Program, and Holiday Food Drive for at-risk communities in Worcester County. Previously, Commissioner Roy worked as a Hospital Representative for Johnson & Johnson, working with major teaching hospitals for their anti-infective/analgesic division. She also served on the Board of Trustees for Quinsigamond Community College from 2017-2021.
Commissioner Roy holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Western New England University and Master’s Degree in Professional Communication from Clark University.
Leadership Team
Travis Ahern
Executive Director
Travis.Ahern@CCCMass.com
Travis Ahern joined the Cannabis Control Commission in March 2025 as its Executive Director, bringing with him nearly two decades of experience in public service and the private financial sector. Most recently, Executive Director Ahern served as the Holliston Town Administrator, a role he held since July 2020. In his capacity as Town Administrator, he had the opportunity to engage with Marijuana Establishments operating in Holliston, working to implement local changes related to Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022, the state’s equity reform law, and securing Town Meeting approval of local by-laws allowing delivery to take place.
Executive Director Ahern previously served as the Policy and Finance Director for the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) Advisory Board, Finance Director for the Town of Danvers, Financial Analyst for the Town of Weston, and as a Portfolio Associate II, Internal Auditor at State Street Corp. He helped lead both the towns of Danvers and Holliston to achieve a AAA rating from S&P Global Ratings.
Executive Director Ahern holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Northeastern University and BA in Political Science from Hobart College. He also completed a Leading Educating and Developing (LEAD) Program through the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, and a Leadership Development Program through UMass Amherst, the Collins Center for Public Management and the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA).
Andrew Carter
Chief of Staff
Andrew.Carter@CCCMass.com
Chief of Staff Andrew Carter joined the Commission in 2018 and has held various legal and compliance roles at the agency. Previously, Andrew served as Interim General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, responsible for the legal affairs of the Commission, including the promulgation of the regulations mandated by Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022: An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry. Earlier, Andrew served as counsel in the Commission’s Investigations and Enforcement division, advising on legal matters related to compliance with cannabis laws and regulations.
Andrew has served in federal, state, and municipal government, including the United States Senate, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the City of Newton. Andrew holds a B.A. from the University of Connecticut, an M.A. from Northeastern University, and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
Kajal Chattopadhyay
General Counsel
Kajal.Chattopadhyay@CCCMass.com
Kajal Chattopadhyay joined the Cannabis Control Commission in October 2024 as its General Counsel, bringing more than 20 years of experience in various state government posts. Most recently, he worked with the Department of Correction’s legal department, handling a variety of litigation matters involving civil rights, torts, and parole. Prior to that, he served as Senior Legal and Policy Advisor at the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants. He previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Department of Transitional Assistance, and briefly worked as Deputy Chief of Front Door Operations on the Healey administration’s cross-secretariat team to address and respond to unprecedented demand for emergency family shelter and the lack of supply of affordable housing.
Other notable posts Kajal has held include Director of Criminal Investigations Bureau/Director of Legislative Affairs and Counsel to the Commissioner with the Department of Revenue, General Counsel/Deputy General Counsel with the Department of Telecommunications and Cable, Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General, and Assistant District Attorney with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
Kajal also served as co-chair of the Massachusetts Illegal Tobacco Task Force from 2015 to 2019, was chair of the Asian American Commission, and in 2008 was named “Fraud Fighter of the Year” by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Greater Boston Chapter. He has a J.D. Degree from Case Western Reserve University, a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Hamilton College.
Paul Clark
Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
Paul.Clark@CCCMass.com
Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Paul Clark comes to the Cannabis Control Commission after spending more than 25 years in senior IT leadership roles across a variety of industries including healthcare, management consulting, print and marketing services, warehouse and distribution, and business web hosting. Most recently he was Chief Information and Technology Officer/Privacy Compliance Officer for a global healthcare company focused on medical second opinions.
Paul has extensive experience in all aspects of information technology including infrastructure, system administration, security, cloud platforms, and customer service. In addition, he brings a background of overseeing global patient and individual privacy and compliance programs.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Debbie Hilton-Creek
Chief People Officer
Debra.Hilton.Creek@CCCMass.com
Debbie Hilton-Creek joined the Cannabis Control Commission in August 2023 as the agency’s Chief People Officer (CPO). As a professional Human Resources Practitioner, Debbie brings multi-state employment, labor, and workforce development experiences and background to the CPO’s role. She has more than 20 years’ experience in organizations with 700-plus team members, and multiple union representations. She is a coach and advisor to C-Suite Executives and Senior Level Management.
Ms. Hilton-Creek has served in the roles of HR Director, Chief HR Officer, Deputy Director, and Executive Director in social services and healthcare organizations. Locally, she held the title of HR Director for the Town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, where she managed the Town’s Human Resources and Benefits Trust functions, and as the HR Director within the Fine Hotels Corporation in Massachusetts. Ms. Hilton-Creek’s professional experience also includes serving as the Chief HR Officer (CHRO) for Greater Lawrence Family Health Center for seven years, and the Chief HR Officer for Codman Square Health Center for four years.
Prior to relocating to Massachusetts from Colorado, Ms. Hilton-Creek also served in the role of Executive Director for Home and Health Care, Inc. of Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition to these executive level roles, she has more than 25 years’ experience leading organizational change and development, and strategic planning within the non-profit, healthcare, social services, government, and hospitality industries.
Debbie holds an Executive Master’s in Business Administration (EMBA) from Colorado Technical University and a Bachelor of Science (BS) with a minor in Psychology from Denver Technical College, both located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Among her successes and accomplishments are her collaboration with the Colorado Department of Health and Human Services (CDHS) to develop Colorado Springs’ first Options for Long Term Care Program and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). She further collaborated with senior level management within her organization to develop and implement the agency’s Private Care Management Program, which resulted in the first non-profit entity to also operate a for-profit component under separate Employer Identification Numbers (EINs).
Julie K. Johnson
Chief of Research
Julie.Johnson@CCCMass.com
Chief of Research Julie K. Johnson, PhD, is a former National Institute of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She formerly worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as a Research Study Coordinator at the Center of Adolescent Substance Abuse Research and Brandeis University as a Research Associate at the Prescription Drug Monitoring Center of Excellence.
During her 10-year academic career, she taught health policy courses at Brandeis University and Simmons College and authored varying peer-review papers and editorials, textbook chapters, reports, and professional meeting presentations to advance the knowledge and understanding of marijuana laws, youth and emerging adult health, and substance use prevention.
Johnson graduated from Simmons College with a BA in Society and Health, Sociology, and Communications, Brandeis University with a PhD in Social Policy, and completed her Postdoc in the Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training program at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Nomxolisi Jones
Chief of Investigations and Enforcement
Nomxolisi.Jones@CCCMass.com
Chief of Investigations and Enforcement Nomxolisi Jones is responsible for the Investigations and Enforcement team of the Cannabis Control Commission (Commission), which includes the Licensing, Testing, Investigations, Enforcement Projects, Enforcement Training, and Enforcement Counsel staff. Ms. Jones is responsible for the overall implementation and compliance of the Commonwealth’s cannabis laws and regulations. Prior to this role, Ms. Jones joined the Commission on September 14, 2020 as the Director of Investigations wherein she led the investigations and compliance team to inspect and investigate compliance matters, some of which resulted in successful enforcement actions. Ms. Jones previously worked for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination for over a decade and she held several positions that involved conducting trainings, mediations, and managing investigations related to labor and employment matters, including housing, places of public accommodation, education, and credit & lending. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social & Behavioral Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Lisa Schlegel
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer
Lisa.Schlegel@cccmass.com
Lisa Schlegel joined the Cannabis Control Commission in March 2024 as the Chief Financial and Accounting Officer. In this role, she is responsible for financial management and budget development, as well as strategic planning and managing key procurement projects for the Commission.
Lisa brings broad experience and skills in accounting and audit, budget development and oversight, financial statement preparation, financial reporting to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and external agencies, strategic planning, contract management, and compliance and internal controls.
Most recently, Lisa served as Comptroller for Quinsigamond Community College for the past four years, and as Assistant Comptroller for eight years prior. She is a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) with a B.A. in Accounting from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and an MBA from Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
Department Leadership
Michael Baker
Deputy General Counsel
Legal
Timothy Barwise
Interim Director of Testing
Investigations and Enforcement
Katherine Binkoski
Director of Investigations
Investigations and Enforcement
AnnMarie Burtt
Director of Digital and Creative Services
Communications
Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Employee Relations
Human Resources
Maryalice Curley
Director of Communications
Communications
Armond Enos
Director of Enforcement Training
Investigations and Enforcement
Kate Fiske
Interim Director of Constituent Services
Constituent Services
Danielle Freeman
Director of Information Technology and Security
Information Technology
Matt Giancola
Director of Government Affairs and Policy
Communications
Timothy Goodin
Enforcement Counsel
Investigations and Enforcement
Olivia Koval
Director of Licensing
Investigations and Enforcement
Mark McDevitt
Director of Budget and Accounting
Finance
Marianne Sarkis
Director of Data Analytics
Information Technology
Silea Williams
Director of Equity Programming and Community Outreach
Communications
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