Harry Keels Thomas, Jr.

Last Name: Thomas

First Name: Harry

Middle Name: Keels
Suffix: Jr

Medals and Honors:

• Grand Cross of the Order of Sikatuna

ACNSL Offices and Committees:

• Africa Strategic Committee Chair
  INDO-PACOM Strategic Committee

Rank: Ambassador

Service/Department: U.S. Dept of State

Last or Significant Assignment: Ambassador to Zimbabwe

Areas of Experience:

• AFRICOM
  INDOPACOM
  South and Central America

 Ambassador 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. 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.

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. He was then nominated and confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe on October 22, 2015. He was sworn in on December 8, 2015. He returned to the United States from Zimbabwe on March 25, 2018.

Ambassador Thomas is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and holds a Masters in Urban Planning from Columbia University. He received an honorary doctorate from Loyola University Maryland.