Jene Thomas

Background

About Jene Thomas

Jene Thomas is a strategic and results-driven international development leader with 35 years of experience across the public and international sectors. Over a distinguished 28-year career with the U.S. Agency for International Development, he served in five country-level CEO-equivalent roles, including as Mission Director in Mexico, Peru, and Haiti, as well as senior leadership positions in Colombia, Pakistan, and the Caribbean. He has overseen billion-dollar portfolios, led cross-functional teams in crisis environments, and shaped U.S. development policy across Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Asia. Thomas is recognized for his executive-level authority over staff, strategy, and budget, and for his direct engagement with host-country governments, U.S. ambassadors, private sector leaders, and global donors. In Mexico, he led the closure of USAID’s historic presence, ensuring that 50+ years of partnerships and results were documented and preserved. In Peru, he spearheaded the Amazon biodiversity and indigenous rights agenda, while directing a nationally recognized COVID-19 response. In Haiti, he managed humanitarian operations and political stabilization programming amid recurring national crises. In Colombia, Thomas led USAID’s Democracy & Governance Office focusing on OECD accession, human rights, electoral integrity, and rule of law reforms. He also served as Acting Mission Director and Deputy Director during leadership transitions. In Pakistan, he led democratic governance efforts during a period of political volatility and was promoted into the Senior Foreign Service in recognition of his leadership in both Pakistan and Colombia. He was later promoted to the rank of Minister Counselor for his leadership during the pandemic in Peru and for his crisis response work in Haiti. Prior to joining USAID, Thomas worked as an environmental specialist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and as an environmental advisor to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Germany. He began his career as a geologist focused on groundwater issues in Texas before serving as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, where he implemented rural water and sanitation projects. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geology from The University of Texas at Austin and pursued graduate studies in environmental policy and sustainable development at the University of Maryland and Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. He is fluent in Spanish and brings deep expertise in economic development, climate adaptation, crisis response, and institutional development.