Ambassador Harry Thomas

Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. is one of our nation’s most experienced diplomats and is currently a Senior Kissinger Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute, a private business consultant and an international affairs lecturer.  Over his 34-year Foreign Service career, he represented the United States abroad as Ambassador three times and served in senior positions at the State Department and the White House. He retired in March 2018 with the rank of Career Minister.

Thomas was ambassador to Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Bangladesh. Ambassador Thomas also served as the State Department’s Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to Secretary Rice, Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources, Director for South Asia at the National Security Council and Director of the Operations Center. 

As ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2016-18, he led the embassy during the tumultuous coup that caused long-time dictator Robert Mugabe to resign and worked with allies and the international community to press the new government for economic and human rights reform.  He oversaw the President’s Emergency Program for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) and Education USA which has sent hundreds of Zimbabweans to the US to study including several Rhodes Scholars.

In the Philippines from 2010-2013, he led the US relief and recovery programs during and in the aftermath of devastating typhoons, the $100 million development and aid program, managed US efforts to counter-terrorism including working closely with the Joint Special Forces Task Force-Philippines and was in charge of the successful efforts to bring kidnapped Americans to safety.  

As ambassador to Bangladesh, he led an assistance program that centered on clean water, women’s employment and human trafficking. He was the director for South Asia at the National Security Council on 9/11 and coordinated inter-agency teamwork that responded to the crisis.

Ambassador Thomas speaks Spanish, Hindi, Bengali and conversational Tagalog.  He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and holds a Master’s from Columbia University.  Ambassador Thomas holds Honorary Doctorates from the College of the Holy Cross and Loyola University and was the Commencement Speaker at these institutions.  

He is a member of the College of the Holy Cross and Care for the Homeless Board of Trustees and Chairperson of the Winter4Kids Board of Trustees. He is a fervent fan of New York sports teams and enjoys snorkeling and golf. He formerly served as a “Stroke and Turn” Judge for local, county and summer swim leagues in Virginia.