Raquel Riley Thomas is the visionary founder behind An Officer and GentleWoman, LLC (AOAGWLLC), a distinguished media and entertainment company delivering white-glove service. With over 30 years of media expertise, Raquel has made an indelible mark in the Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle, Celebrity, and Music Industry.

Professional Life:

Raquel is a Publicist and is the owner of An Officer and GentleWoman, LLC, a media and entertainment company, founded in 2011, with locations in Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA. The company has won over 75 awards and her clients have been highlighted in over 2000 plus appearances in print media, television, in-person and radio/podcast appearances. The company has won over 75 awards and has produced pageants in MD, PA, DC and at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
1990: Raquel is a decorated military veteran, having served nine years in the U.S. Army (5 years as an Enlisted photojournalist and 4 years as an Ordnance Officer). In 2002, she was honorably discharged as a Captain, Ordnance Officer.
2000: Raquel started her first business, Photography by Raquel, LLC. She photographed actors, celebrities, Jet magazine swimsuit centerfolds and more.
2010: Raquel decided to compete in a pageant to show her daughters a princess could look like them. She won the title of Mrs. Maryland America 2010. She went to the national level and won Mrs. America 2011 (1st RU), the first African American to get to that level in Mrs. America pageant system.
2011: Raquel started An Officer and Gentlewoman LLC (AOAGWLLC), which includes divisions in Public Relations, Talent Management, Brand Management, and Production services. Under the Production Division, Raquel acquired three pageants in the Mrs. America pageant system, becoming the sole African American owner in DC, DE, and PA simultaneously. She also made history as the first and only Director to produce a pageant at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
2020: Raquel launched her new company, Raquel Riley Thomas Beauty Line (RRTBeauty). The brand is a performance-based makeup brand for those who need long-wear makeup. The first collection sold out in 1 week.

Education:

1990: She graduated from the Defense Information School of Technology and became a photojournalist for the U.S. Army.
1998: Distinguished Military Graduate from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Hampton University.
1995: Graduated from Officer’s Leadership Course
1998: She has a degree in Psychology from Hampton University
2019: She has a certification in from Harvard Business School in Mastery of Negotiations

Community Life:

Advisory Board member of Operation Renewed Hope Foundation
A member of Veterans of Foreign War
A Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc
Raquel supports the American Federation of Suicide because unfortunately, her mother took her own life in 2013. In honor of her mother, she started Queen V Day, a day in which she brings businesses together to pamper a deserving Veteran.

Award Highlights: (Full list upon request)

Raquel is inducted into the Library of Congress for her service.
Army Commendation Medal (2x)
Army Achievement Medal (3x).
“Veteran of the Year" 2011, by Women Veteran’s Rock.
Raquel was also titled a “Leader of the Future,” by Ebony Magazine
Washington Business Journal “People on the Move.”
2022 She was recently selected as a Consumer Goods Technology (CGT) Visionary.
2022 Entrepreneur Business Startup Award for Raquel Riley Thomas Cosmetics from The Rosie Network
2023 Most Influential Women in Atlanta 2023 by The Atlantan, Modern Luxury
2023 HBCU Alumni Highlight of Entrepreneurs in Upscale Magazine Feb/March 2023
2023 President’s Volunteer Award (Gold)
2023 Women to Meet Award | Taste Urban Atlanta
2023 Best Entrepreneur Award | The Global Beauty Awards

Personal Life:

Raquel is a native of Maryland. Her family recently moved to Georgia.
She is married to West Point graduate Ron Thomas, Esq (who has never lost to Navy in his football career). They have been married since 2006.
They have two entrepreneurial daughters together: Maria Raquel Thomas and Sophia J Thomas, is a teen chef. They also have a dog, cat and a few robots that Maria Raquel built.

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