Rod Williamson grew up on a grain, livestock and dairy farm in southwest Iowa. Rod received his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in Agricultural Mechanization. While he was in school he was owner and operator of a custom farming business baling hay and corn stover.
After graduation, Rod started working in sales and marketing for the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Rod then became involved in policy as a lobbyist for the organization dealing with the state and federal policy makers.
Currently, Rod serves as the Director of Research and Development for Iowa Corn. This involves funding research initiatives, negotiating research and license agreements, developing a patent strategy and commercializing new technology for biofuels, bioproducts and biotechnology.