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Harry Thomas
Harry Thomas
United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe
	In office; February 25, 2016 – March 25, 2018
President	Barack Obama; Donald Trump
Preceded by	David Wharton
Succeeded by	Brian A. Nichols
United States Ambassador to the Philippines
	In office; April 27, 2010 – October 16, 2013
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Kristie Kenney
Succeeded by	Philip S. Goldberg
27th Director General of the Foreign Service
	In office; September 21, 2007 – June 24, 2009
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	George McDade Staples
Succeeded by	Nancy Jo Powell
21st Executive Secretary to the Department of State
	In office; July 25, 2005 – July 27, 2007
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Karl W. Hofmann
Succeeded by	Daniel Bennett Smith
United States Ambassador to Bangladesh
	In office; August 14, 2003 – July 2, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Mary Ann Peters
Succeeded by	Patricia A. Butenis
Personal details
Born	Harry Keels Thomas Jr.; June 3, 1956 (age 68); New York City, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Ericka Ovette; Mithi Aquino
Children	Casey Merie
Alma mater	College of the Holy Cross (BA); Columbia University (MS)

Harry Keels Thomas Jr.^[2] (born June 3, 1956) is an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe.

Education

Thomas is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and earned his Master's of Science in Urban Planning at Columbia University. He also has an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Maryland, where he delivered the commencement address in May 2010.^[3]

Career

Thomas joined the Foreign Service in 1984. His early postings included service in the US embassies in New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru.^[3] He also served as Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State, Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service, Director of the State Department Operations Center, and Special Assistant to the then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.^[4]

Thomas served as United States Ambassador to Bangladesh (serving from 2003 to 2005) and Director General of the United States Foreign Service (serving from 2007 to 2009), Thomas was designated by US President Barack Obama on November 19, 2009, to replace Kristie Kenney as Ambassador to the Philippines—the first African American to serve at that post.^[4] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 19, 2010,^[3] and presented his credentials to Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on April 27, 2010.^[5] He was then nominated and confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe on October 22, 2015.^[6] He was sworn in on December 8, 2015.^[7] He returned to the United States from Zimbabwe on March 25, 2018, planning to retire from the Foreign Service.^[8]

Controversy

In September 2011, Thomas sparked outrage – while in post as Ambassador to the Philippines – by making the remark that "40% of male tourists to the Philippines go there for sex tourism", without publicly presenting evidence for this remark.^[9] He subsequently made a public apology to the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.

Foreign languages

Thomas speaks English, Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog, and Bengali.

Awards and honours

Foreign honours

Philippines: Grand Cross (Datu) of the Order of Sikatuna (GrCS) (October 14, 2013)

References

^ Michael Reardon (2007). "THE PROFILE: Harry K. Thomas Jr., '78". Alumni/Advancement. Holy Cross Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
^ "Harry Keels Thomas Jr. (1956–)". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. October 16, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c Press release (March 23, 2010). "U.S. Senate Confirms Nomination of Harry K. Thomas Jr. as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines" (PDF). Embassy of the United States of America, Manila. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
^ ^a ^b Agence France-Presse (November 20, 2009). "Obama names envoys to RP, Singapore". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2009-11-23.
^ Beth Day Romulo (May 11, 2010). "Welcome to Ambassador Thomas". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2010-05-13. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
^ "October 2015 Senate Periodical Press Gallery" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-23. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
^ ""Ambassador-Designate Harry K. Thomas Jr.", United States Department of State, December 23, 2015". Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
^ "US Ambassador snubs Mugabe". Southern Times. March 23, 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
^ "US ambassador to Philippines apologises for sex tourism remark". The Guardian. October 8, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2013.

External links

Harry K. Thomas Jr. on Twitter
Media related to Harry K. Thomas, Jr. at Wikimedia Commons
US Department of State biography

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Mary Ann Peters	United States Ambassador to Bangladesh 2003–2005	Succeeded by Patricia A. Butenis
Preceded by Karl W. Hofmann	Executive Secretary to the Department of State 2005–2007	Succeeded by Daniel Bennett Smith
Preceded by George McDade Staples	Director General of the Foreign Service 2007–2009	Succeeded by Nancy Jo Powell
Preceded by Kristie Kenney	United States Ambassador to the Philippines 2010–2013	Succeeded by Philip S. Goldberg
Preceded by David Wharton	United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe 2016–2018	Succeeded by Brian A. Nichols