Harry K. Thomas, Jr.

This article is about the US Ambassador to the Philippines. For the Washington D.C. Councillor, see Harry Thomas, Jr. For other individuals named Harry Thomas, see Harry Thomas (disambiguation).

Harry Thomas


United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe
Incumbent
Assumed office February 25, 2016
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	David Wharton
United States Ambassador to the Philippines
In office April 27, 2010 – October 16, 2013
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Kristie Kenney
Succeeded by	Philip Goldberg
Director General of the Foreign Service
In office September 21, 2007 – June 24, 2009
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	George Staples
Succeeded by	Nancy Powell
Executive Secretary to the Department of State
In office July 25, 2005 – July 27, 2007
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Karl Hofmann
Succeeded by	Daniel Smith
United States Ambassador to Bangladesh
In office August 14, 2003 – July 2, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Mary Peters
Succeeded by	Patricia Butenis
Personal details
Born	Harry Keels Thomas, Jr (1956-06-03) June 3, 1956 New York City, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)	Ericka Ovette Mithi Aquino
Children	Casey Merie
Alma mater	College of the Holy Cross Columbia University

Harry Keels Thomas, Jr.^[1] (June 3, 1956 in the Harlem section of New York City^[2]) is an American diplomat and current United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe. He served as the United States Ambassador to the Philippines from 2010 to 2013. A former 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.^[3] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 19, 2010^[4] 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]

Life

Thomas joined the Foreign Service in 1984. In addition to his tenures as Ambassador to Bangladesh and the Philippines, his earlier postings included service in the US embassies in New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru.^[4] 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Controversy

Harry K. Thomas, Jr. (left) with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Joseph Burns (middle) and President Benigno S. Aquino III (right).

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.^[8] He subsequently made a public apology to the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.

Foreign languages

Thomas speaks Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog, and Bengali.

Family

Thomas has one daughter, Casey Merie.^[2]

References

↑ "Harry Keels Thomas, Jr. (1956–)". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. October 16, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
1 2 Michael Reardon (2007). "THE PROFILE: Harry K. Thomas Jr., '78". Alumni/Advancement. Holy Cross Magazine. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
1 2 Agence France-Presse (2009-11-20). "Obama names envoys to RP, Singapore". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
1 2 3 Press release (2010-03-23). "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.
↑ Beth Day Romulo (2010-05-11). "Welcome to Ambassador Thomas". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
↑ October 2015 Senate Periodical Press Gallery
↑ "Ambassador-Designate Harry K. Thomas Jr.", United States Department of State, December 23, 2015
↑ "US ambassador to Philippines apologises for sex tourism remark". The Guardian. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2013.

External links

Harry K. Thomas, Jr. on Twitter

Media related to Harry K. Thomas, Jr. at Wikimedia Commons

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Mary Peters	United States Ambassador to Bangladesh 2003–2005	Succeeded by Patricia Butenis
Preceded by Karl Hofmann	Executive Secretary to the Department of State 2005–2007	Succeeded by Daniel Smith
Preceded by George Staples	Director General of the Foreign Service 2007–2009	Succeeded by Nancy Powell
Preceded by Kristie Kenney	United States Ambassador to the Philippines 2010–2013	Succeeded by Philip Goldberg
Preceded by David Wharton	United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe 2016–present	Incumbent

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