Mr. Gideon Taylor serves as Board President of the Claims Conference.  Previously he served as Executive Vice President of the Claims Conference as well as Associate Executive Vice President at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the overseas humanitarian arm of the American Jewish community. He directed rescue operations in Syria and Yemen and coordinated activities in Ethiopia. He also oversaw JDC’s International Development Program, which implemented major disaster relief, and development programs in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. He subsequently managed the global program and the $250 million budget of the organization.