Quick Facts
Biography
Richard K. Bell is an American diplomat who has served as the United States Ambassador to Ivory Coast since 2019.
Education
Bell earned his Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University in French and a Master of Science in Management from Boston University’s International Program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in Beersheba, Israel.
Career
Early in his career, Bell was Team Leader of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Salahaddin, Iraq, and the regional coordinator for Northeast Iraq and provincial reconstruction team leader in Kirkuk, Iraq. Previous assignments include as foreign policy advisor to the United States Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Niamey, Niger, and head of the Political and Economic Affairs Section of the United States Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Most recently he served as Chargé d'affaires for the Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad.
On November 26, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Bell as the next United States Ambassador to Chad. On August 1, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by voice vote in the United States Senate. He presented his credentials to President Idriss Déby on October 10, 2019.
Personal life
Bell speaks French and Arabic.