Gainesville attorney Ashley Bell has a new position with the Peace Corps. The White House announced this week that Bell will serve as the new Associate Director for External Affairs, overseeing the Peace Corps Offices of Communications, Congressional Relations, Gifts and Grants Management and Strategic Partnerships and Intergovernmental Affairs.
In a prepared statement, Bell said he was thankful for the opportunity to work for the agency.
"Peace Corps volunteers represent the best the United States has to offer and I am grateful for the opportunity to support an agency founded in the American ideal of serving others," Bell said.
"As head of External Affairs, my hope is to highlight to the public the vital role Peace Corps plays in irrevocably changing the lives of both volunteers and the communities they help."
Bell comes to the position from a job as a special advisor in the Public Affairs Bureau of the Department of State, where he worked for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Before joining the Trump Administration, Bell was a senior strategist for communications at the Republican National Committee (RNC). Bell is the founder, chief executive officer and chairman of 20/20 Leaders of America. He began his political career with his election to the Hall County Commission.
A Gainesville native, Bell graduated from Gainesville High School. He is a graduate of Valdosta State University and obtained his law degree from Louisiana State University.
