Politics has long been serious business for Gainesville native Ashley Bell, and now he’s getting to turn that passion into action at the highest levels of U.S. government. He is responsible for recruiting State Department staff as part of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, and witnessing firsthand one of the most heavily scrutinized handoffs in political power. “I know history has its eyes on us, and every day we are given this opportunity to lead, it is a blessing and challenge we must meet,” Bell said in a recent interview by email.