Harry K. Thomas, Jr.
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| Harry Thomas | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe | |
| Assumed office December 8, 2015 |
|
| 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 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]
Contents
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
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
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- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ October 2015 Senate Periodical Press Gallery
- ↑ "Ambassador-Designate Harry K. Thomas Jr.", United States Department of State, December 23, 2015
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Harry K. Thomas, Jr. on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Bangladesh 2003–2005 |
Succeeded by Patricia Butenis |
| Preceded by | Executive Secretary to the Department of State 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by Daniel Smith |
| Preceded by | Director General of the Foreign Service 2007–2009 |
Succeeded by Nancy Powell |
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to the Philippines 2010–2013 |
Succeeded by Philip Goldberg |
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe 2015–present |
Incumbent |
