Thomas E. Garrett

Secretary General, Community of Democracies

USA

In 2017, Thomas E. Garrett was made Secretary-General of the Community of Democracies, an intergovernmental coalition of states which seeks to coordinate action on human rights and democracy at regional and international levels. Mr. Garrett served in numerous leadership posts at the International Republican Institute (IRI) from 1994 to 2017, including being the party leader in Ukraine, Mongolia, and Indonesia; being the regional director for the Middle East and North Africa; and serving as the IRI Vice President for global programs. Prior to IRI, Garrett worked in the U.S. Government, in both executive and legislative branches. He is the recipient of Mongolia’s Order of Friendship and holds a master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations from Norwich University and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma.