California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) executive director Lori Ajax will vacate the position at the end of 2024, the trade association representing California’s craft brewing industry shared Wednesday.
Ajax assumed the executive director role in January 2021, following the retirement of long-time executive director Tom McCormick.
A search for the 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association’s next executive director is ongoing. The next executive director will be “responsible for budgeting, fundraising, overseeing daily operations, membership development, and staffing the association to support the CCBA’s mission, vision, and goals,” as well as “managing the CCBA government affairs program and working closely with our lobbyist and key stakeholders,” per the listing. They will also take charge of one of the most powerful brewery lobbying groups in the nation.
Ajax joined the CCBA following a four-year tenure as the first-ever chief of the California Bureau of Cannabis Control when the agency was formed in 2016. Prior to her time at that agency, Ajax spent nearly 20 years at the California Alcoholic Beverage Control, including serving as chief deputy director.
CCBA board chair Sierra Grossman said in the announcement: “The Board of Directors wishes her the best of luck and opportunities in her future endeavors. Lori will stay until the end of the year, and the board will continue to oversee the process of permanently filling the position. We are confident that Lori and the staff will make this a smooth transition for our membership, partners, and stakeholders.”
Ajax added: “I am honored to have been part of a great team that advocates tirelessly for the interests of California craft brewers. It has been a privilege to support and serve California’s entrepreneurial and historic craft beer community, and I look forward to sharing a beer with our next ED.”
During Ajax’s tenure, the CCBA has worked to expand pouring privileges for craft brewers at off-site events, bring more transparency to production reporting, and establish parity in cider production privileges with large brewers
The CCBA, which formed in 1989, is the oldest and largest state trade association representing craft brewers in the U.S. California ranks first in the nation with 987 craft breweries and more than 3.245 million barrels of beer produced, according to national trade group Brewers Association. The Golden State also ranks first in economic impact with $8.875 billion in 2023.