Amb. Harriet L. Elam-Thomas has six decades of international affairs experience in public diplomacy in government and academia. In September 2021 she marked her second retirement after 18 years at the University of Central Florida where she established and directed a diplomacy program. Several of her students are now career diplomats and others have held foreign affairs-related internships in the U.S. and abroad. Amb. Elam-Thomas was Counselor of the United States Information Agency and acting Deputy Director of the agency until October 1999 prior to USIA's 1999 integration into the Department of State.

As a foreign service officer, Amb. Elam-Thomas held positions as U.S. Ambassador to Senegal, Country Affairs Officer for Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, as well as other positions in France, Belgium, Mali and Côte D'Ivoire. She has received distinguished awards for her service, including the U.S. Government's Superior Honor Award and the Director General's Cup of the U.S. Department of State.

Amb. Elam-Thomas holds a B.S. in International Business from Simmons College and an M.A. in Public Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University. She resides in Orlando, FL with her husband Wilfred J. Thomas.