Colleen Bell, former ambassador and TV producer, named director of California Film Commission

Colleen Bell, the U.S. ambassador to Hungary from 2014 to 2017, has been appointed director of the California Film Commission.

Bell, 52, of Los Angeles succeeds Amy Lemisch, who served 15 years in the position and presided over an expansion of the state’s film tax credit program.

Bell, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is no stranger to the film industry.

The “Bold and the Beautiful” producer held several positions at Bell-Phillip Television Productions, including as producer, director of special projects and script supervisor.

Bell was not available for an interview.

In addition to administering the state’s tax credit program, Bell will also serve as a champion for California’s film industry, which has faced rising competition as other states and countries have beefed up incentives to lure filming.

She will be paid $170,004 in the position, which does not require Senate confirmation, according to a statement from the governor’s office. Bell is a Democrat.

She is a board member at the Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, the Council of American Ambassadors, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Pacific Council on International Policy.