Holliston Town Administrator Travis Ahern has agreed to bring his municipal government experience to the Cannabis Control Commission next year as its new executive director at a time of significant change in the maturing industry , the agency announced Monday evening.

The announcement came less than a week after commissioners voted 4-0 in favor of extend an offer to Ahernwho was the de facto runner-up in the protracted search to fill the vacant CCC administrative head position. The original commissioners chose another candidate for the position, David Lakeman, but he ultimately declined the offer to remain the primary cannabis regulator in Illinois.

Ahern has served as Holliston Town Administrator since July 2020. He previously worked as the Finance Director for the Town of Danvers, a Financial Analyst for the Town of Weston, and in policy and financial roles (including Director) on the Massachusetts Advisory Board Water Resources Authority.

The CCC’s first executive director, Shawn Collins, resigned at the end of 2023, and human resources director Debra Hilton-Creek now serves as interim executive director.

“I am confident that Ahern will guide the agency and the regulated cannabis industry into a new phase of maturation as we approach the next steps to finalize social on-site consumption in Massachusetts and address other reforms,” he said. said CCC Acting President Bruce Stebbins. “The commissioners noted that he has the right combination of leadership knowledge and administrative expertise to oversee the dedicated staff who accomplish our mission of ensuring a safe, efficient and equitable cannabis market.”

Ahern’s start date is “potentially scheduled for March 3, 2025,” the CCC said in its statement. During his October interview, Ahern told commissioners that he was in the second year of a three-year contract with Holliston and was supposed to give three months’ notice before leaving for another job .

“I share this only to say that it is a courtesy I would extend to my (selected) board of directors. It’s probably not legally binding if I were to move to the state. However, because I respect my board, my board has been very good to me, I would show them courtesy,” he said. “Generally speaking, municipalities wouldn’t take you three months. More often than not, you don’t want anyone to be in a lame duck position during this time, and you put someone in the role of actor. But I would show them this courtesy.

He will take over “as the agency prepares to enter the next phase of regulating Massachusetts’ $8 billion regulated cannabis industry,” the CCC said, and as Regulators are launching on-site cannabis consumption sites and preparing for possible changes in federal cannabis policy.

And 2025 could also bring changes at the state level, as lawmakers and government watchdogs seek to steady the ship. Amid numerous controversies within the CCC since 2023, a key House lawmaker said this summer that his committee “recognizes the need for clarity in the structure and accountability of the Cannabis Control Commission” and “provides for a legislative route to address sources of concern regarding the administrative function of CCC.

“My initial focus as the agency’s new executive director will be to leverage the subject matter expertise within the organization, staff and commissioners, to help the organization fulfill its mission of providing a safe and fair cannabis market in Massachusetts,” Ahern said in a statement.

He said he views the 2022 marijuana bill “as a turning point, providing the tools needed for the CCC to achieve its goals and move Massachusetts forward.”

“I believe the future is very bright for CCC and I am excited to be a part of it,” he said.