Gainesville attorney Ashley Bell was sworn in as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of State Monday.
Bell will be working in public affairs, making sure foreign policy that is led by President Donald Trump and executed by Secretary Rex Tillerson is clear and accurate to citizens, Bell said. He will work with maybe two or three other Special Assistants specifically in public affairs. Bell is also back on as a government employee Monday for the first time since he was on Hall County Commission.
"I haven't actually been in government since I was on the Hall County Commission, but I can say that I learned a lot of lessons there - how to make government work, understanding that government closest to the people is the most important and we're going to make sure that what ever we do is clearly and effectively communicated to the people on the ground, who actually have to carry out the policy," said Bell. "That's a valuable lesson I learned in Gainesville and I look forward to expounding on that knowledge here in Washington D.C."
Bell was appointed by President Trump for the position. "It's an incredible opportunity to be appointed by a president in any role but this one in particular is something I'm very excited about," Bell told AccessWDUN. "Being able to work closely with the new administration to continue to build out the state department with the people who are going to make sure that foreign policy is communicated effectively around the world with clarity and I'm excited about being a part of that team."
Bell said as for his personal life, he's going to continue going back and forth between D.C. and Gainesville.
