Raquel Riley Thomas is a Pageant Owner, Pageant Queen, and Beauty/Fashion Expert. She is the Owner of An Officer and Gentlewoman, LLC, which has the following 8 subsidiaries: Miss DC/PA/DE for America, Mrs. DC/PA/DE America, Little Miss North America (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia) and AOAGWLLC Casting. She is also Mrs. America 2011 (1st Runner-Up) and Mrs. Maryland America 2010. Currently, you can also see her on television as a re-occurring beauty and fashion expert.

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Raquel is a decorated military veteran, having served nine years in the U.S. Army (5-years Enlisted photojournalist; 4-years Ordnance Officer). She is a graduate of Hampton University with a degree in Psychology.  In September 2011, Raquel started her Veteran-owned production company, An Officer and Gentlewoman LLC,

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Raquel’s accomplishments have been noted in both her military and civilian career. In the Army, she was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (2x) and the Army Achievement Medal (3x). Recently, Marquis Who's Who of America awarded Raquel the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” For her commitment to fighting for military Veteran's rights, Raquel was selected as the “Veteran of the Year" 2011, by Women Veteran’s Rock. Raquel was also titled a “Leader of the Future,” by Ebony Magazine, Marquis “Who’s Who of America,” (5-consecutive years), and Washington Business Journal “People on the Move.” She was recently inducted into the Library of Congress under the "Veterans History Project" where her military history is now stored in video and pictures.

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Raquel is married to West Point grad Ron Thomas, Esq. with four children, a cat and six robots in their blended family.