Elliot Gerson is an executive vice president at the Aspen Institute, responsible for its policy and public programs and its relations with international partners. The Institute's policy programs, which number almost 30, focus on important domestic and international issues and improve decision-making by providing neutral venues, nonpartisan analysis, and candid dialogue among leaders. Its public programs, including the Aspen Ideas Festival and many other events, open the Institute's doors to a broader audience. Gerson is also the American secretary of the Rhodes Trust.