title: William M. Bellamy
text: # William M. Bellamy
  
  William Markley (Mark) Bellamy (born August 31, 1950) is an American diplomat. A career Foreign Service Officer, he served as United States ambassador to Kenya from 2003 to 2006 under President George W. Bush.
  
  ## Early life and education
  
  Bellamy was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, in 1950. He earned a BA from Occidental College, an MA from Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a diploma from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.
  
  ## Career
  
  ### Ambassador to Kenya
  
  In his role as United States Ambassador to Kenya, Bellamy led international efforts to handle the AIDS crisis and combat corruption. In August 2004, Bellamy opened a community-owned tourist lodge named Lion's Bluff in the LUMO Community Wildlife Sanctuary. In January 2006, Bellamy was involved in rescue efforts following the collapse of a building on Nairobi's Ngala Street that killed four people.
  
  ### Later career
  
  After being Ambassador to Kenya, Bellamy was senior vice president of the National Defense University. Bellamy later retired from diplomacy in 2007. He now advises the Center for Strategic and International Studies and is a professor at Simmons University. In October 2019, Bellamy was a signatory to a letter by national security officials demanding protection for the anonymous whistleblower that sparked the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump.
  
  