Prior to his assignment to U.S. Africa Command, Ambassador Holmes was the Cyrus Vance Fellow in Diplomatic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), focusing on Africa and African Policy Issues.

Resolving misunderstandings and improving the U.S.–Burkina Faso relationship, Holmes also helped development of democracy and human rights, and the fights against HIV/AIDS and trafficking in children.

Holmes has spent many of his thirty-year Foreign Service career on issues affecting Africa, including service as the economic-commercial section chief in Harare and in the economic section in Nairobi.

Additionally, he also headed the economic sections in Singapore and Sweden and served as the deputy director of the State Department’s office of sanctions policy.

Holmes holds a BA in Comparative Religion and an MA in Economic Geography from the University of Georgia, as well as an MBA from the Thunderbird School of International Management.