In his remarks at the February 4, 2016 White House celebration of the 15th anniversary of Plan Colombia, President Barack Obama said, "I especially want to recognize someone who's played a pivotal role in the peace process.

Aronson also worked for the Council of the Southern Mountains in Berea, Kentucky where he focused on black lung, school lunches for poor children, and opposition to strip mining.

He worked as a staff writer for the Raleigh Register newspaper in Beckley, West Virginia and wrote by-line articles for The Washington Post.

After helping defeat Tony Boyle, the dictatorial boss of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW), later convicted of the murder of MFD founder Jock Yablonski, in an election in February 1972, Aronson moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as Assistant to the new reform President, Arnold Miller.

Aronson, a lifelong Democrat, was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs in February 1989 by Republican President George H. W. Bush, to pursue a bipartisan policy towards Central America.

[2][3] Aronson and Secretary of State James Baker negotiated the Bi-Partisan Accord on Central America, signed at the White House,[4] March 24, 1989, which united the new Administration and leaders of the United States Congress in both parties behind the Central American Peace Plan authored by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica.

Aronson convinced the new Administration to make cooperation in Central America the first test of Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev's "new thinking" in foreign policy.

He also served on a variety of corporate boards of both private and public companies, including Global Hyatt; Liz Claiborne; Royal Caribbean International; Lindblad Expeditions; Mariner Energy; Kate Spade.