Doug Elliott (ICPES 79) came to The Fund for American Studies in 1979 from the College of the Desert, a small community college in California, where he began his political science coursework. At ICPES, Doug continued his studies – both in the classroom and in his internship with Rep. James Jeffords (R-Vt.).

“Being able to really see what went on in the life of an elected official, how issues of public concern were dealt with and how constituents made their voices heard was intriguing,” Elliott said.

Upon completing the program, Elliott continued his studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA, he joined the Peace Corps and worked for three years as an agricultural instructor in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He stayed there for an additional year to run a nonprofit organization that took children off the streets of and taught them technical skills or placed them in school.

In 1998, cable television entrepreneur Bill Daniels asked Elliott to help him set up the Daniels Charitable Fund in Colorado. Today, Elliott serves as vice president of a foundation poised to become the largest in Colorado history and possibly one of the top 100 in America. As the Daniels Fund is still in its development stages, Elliott spends most of his time setting up systems and processes that will allow the Daniels Fund to carry out its philanthropic mission.