Don Bell

Biographical information

Don Bell currently serves as Vice Chair of the East Hartford Town Council, a diverse community of approximately 51,000 residents. Don was elected in November 2019 as part of the largest council change in a generation, and is the chair of the Budget Committee and newly established Community Engagement Committee. Don also serves as Assistant Director for Career Development at the University of Connecticut School of Law, leading efforts to collaborate with the public sector and counsel students that seek to start their career in public service.

Prior to this position, Don was the Director of the Black Talent Initiative at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. In this role, Don worked to increase diversity and inclusion among policymaking staff in Congress. Don worked in the United States Senate as a postgraduate legal fellow to Senator Chris Murphy, judiciary staffer in the personal office of Senator Richard Blumenthal, and associate counsel then counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. As a Senate staffer, Don was elected president of the Senate Black Legislative Staff Caucus (SBLSC). During his term, he conducted a groundbreaking census of Black Senate staffers and led a movement to make Congress more representative of America.

This work drew national attention to the pervasive lack of diversity among Congressional staffers and the urgent need to increase representation for all communities. Don’s work and commentaries have been recognized by the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, ABC News and others.

Don is a graduate of UConn Law and graduated from the University of Connecticut as an Honors Scholar. Don previously served as a Delegate to the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) House of Delegates, member of the CBA Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and member of the CBA Rule of Law Committee.