Executive Director
Lori became the Executive Director of the California Craft Brewers Association in January 2021. Before this, she served as the Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau), the primary agency responsible for regulating commercial cannabis in California. She held this position since the Bureau was established in 2016. During her time there, Ajax played a key role in developing and implementing California’s regulatory framework for medical and adult-use commercial cannabis businesses. She also led efforts to promote social equity in the state’s cannabis industry, including establishing the Equity-Local Liaison Unit to assist social equity applicants and licensees. Additionally, Ajax was in charge of distributing $25 million in equity grant funding to local jurisdictions to help individuals impacted by the criminalization of cannabis. Before working at the Bureau, Ajax spent 22 years at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, where she advanced from an investigator to the position of Chief Deputy Director. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento.
