New US envoy to RP named

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has officially nominated career diplomat Harry K. Thomas Jr. as the next US ambassador to the Philippines, the White House said.

If confirmed by the Senate, Thomas will become the first black US ambassador to the Philippines succeeding Kristie Kenney, the first female US ambassador to the Philippines.

The White House earlier announced the President’s intention to nominate Thomas and other officials to key administration posts in a press statement on Thursday.

“These individuals will represent our nation well and work to fulfill the important goal of strengthening our relationships abroad. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years,” Obama said.

Thomas, 53, served most recently as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources. He joined the Foreign Service in 1984 and served as US Ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005. 

He also served in the White House as Director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002. 

His other postings included New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru.

Thomas, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross, was mentioned in news reports as a potential ambassador to the Philippines as far back as November 2008, shortly after Obama’s election. 

While there is no fixed date when Thomas’s nomination could be acted upon by the US Senate, any nominations sent now would have little chance of confirmation before the first quarter of 2010 because of the coming holidays and congressional focus on domestic issues such as health care and climate change.

Kenney was nominated in November 2005, confirmed in February 2006 and arrived in Manila the following month.

“It is with great pleasure that I learned that President Obama has named my successor. Ambassador-designate Harry Thomas is a personal friend of mine, an exceptional diplomat, and a wonderful person,” Kenney said in a statement. “His nomination still has to be confirmed by the United States Senate, so I will have the opportunity to continue to collaborate with Filipinos to improve lives and strengthen relations between our two countries over the coming months. Now for personal and professional reasons, I need to plan my return to the United States.”

Kenney said it has been an extraordinary honor and privilege to serve as Washington’s top diplomat in the country for more than three and a half years and working with Filipinos from all walks of life has been one of her most memorable experiences.

“I have come to deeply appreciate not just the warmth and friendship of Filipinos, but also their determination to make their country, region, and world a better place for their children and grandchildren. It has been a true pleasure to live in this beautiful country, and to lead the US Embassy in efforts to partner with the government and people of the Philippines for the greater good of Americans and Filipinos alike,” she added.

Diplomatic sources said Kenney is getting another ambassadorial post in South America. – With Pia Lee-Brago