| Harry Thomas | |
| Office: | United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe |
| President: | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Term Start: | February 25, 2016 |
| Term End: | March 25, 2018 |
| Predecessor: | David Wharton |
| Successor: | Brian A. Nichols |
| Office1: | United States Ambassador to the Philippines |
| President1: | Barack Obama |
| Term Start1: | April 27, 2010 |
| Term End1: | October 16, 2013 |
| Predecessor1: | Kristie Kenney |
| Successor1: | Philip S. Goldberg |
| Office2: | 27th Director General of the Foreign Service |
| President2: | George W. Bush |
| Term Start2: | September 21, 2007 |
| Term End2: | June 24, 2009 |
| Predecessor2: | George McDade Staples |
| Successor2: | Nancy Jo Powell |
| Office3: | 21st Executive Secretary to the Department of State |
| President3: | George W. Bush |
| Term Start3: | July 25, 2005 |
| Term End3: | July 27, 2007 |
| Predecessor3: | Karl W. Hofmann |
| Successor3: | Daniel Bennett Smith |
| Office4: | United States Ambassador to Bangladesh |
| President4: | George W. Bush |
| Term Start4: | August 14, 2003 |
| Term End4: | July 2, 2005 |
| Predecessor4: | Mary Ann Peters |
| Successor4: | Patricia A. Butenis |
| Birth Name: | Harry Keels Thomas Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 3 June 1956[1] |
| Birth Place: | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse: | 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.
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.
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. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 19, 2010, 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]
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.
Thomas speaks English, Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog, and Bengali.
Grand Cross (Datu) of the Order of Sikatuna (GrCS) (October 14, 2013)
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Philippines