When former soap opera producer Colleen Bell stepped into the role of California film commissioner slightly more than a year ago, she never could have predicted the challenges she'd soon face.
But with production in her state and elsewhere grinding to a screeching halt in March, Bell found herself drawing on her crisis management training from her time as U.S.
ambassador to Hungary under former President Obama. "As soon as the COVID crisis hit, I just hunkered down and really focused," says the Chicago native, who was appointed by Gov.
Gavin Newsom to replace 15-year veteran Amy Lemisch in May 2019. The three-time Daytime Emmy nominee, who has four children with The Bold and the Beautiful head writer Bradley Bell, oversees California's film.