Cody Williams –  Biography

Cody Williams is a lifelong North Iowan with deep roots in rural Iowa and a long record of service to children, families, and local communities.

Cody grew up in Titonka, Iowa, where he learned the value of hard work early stocking shelves at the local grocery store and working as a seasonal farm hand. After graduating high school, he moved to Mason City at age 18 to attend North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), beginning a lifelong commitment to education, service, and community involvement.

He continued his studies at Buena Vista University’s Mason City campus, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services with a minor in Psychology. While in college, Cody worked as a bartender and server at local restaurants, gaining firsthand experience in customer service and the realities faced by working families. As his studies progressed, he began working directly with youth and families—first at Francis Lauer Youth Services providing shelter care for children, and later with Lutheran Social Services of Iowa providing in-home family services.

Cody went on to earn a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Northern Iowa, commuting for three years while continuing to work locally. Throughout his career, he has focused on meeting people where they are and helping systems work better for families.

For 13 years, Cody served as Coordinator of the Cerro Gordo–Hancock–Worth Early Childhood Board. In this role, he managed state funding and partnered with local governments to strengthen early childhood education, health services, and family-focused initiatives across the three-county region. During this time, he also worked in partnership with Mason City Schools and Juvenile Court, supporting at-risk middle school students with academics, mental health, and school attendance.

In addition to his direct service work, Cody has spent more than a decade helping train the next generation of helping professionals. He served as an adjunct professor at Buena Vista University for 10 years, teaching human services and psychology courses, and also taught counseling and human services classes at NIACC and Waldorf University.

In 2009, Cody founded Turning Leaf Counseling, a locally owned mental health practice built to expand access to care in North Iowa. He expanded the practice in 2015 by hiring additional clinicians, and again in 2017, bringing on seven clinicians when a local mental health center closed to ensure residents did not lose access to services. In 2018, Turning Leaf Counseling was named Small Business of the Year by the Mason City Chamber of Commerce. Today, the practice employs approximately 20 clinicians, provides school-based counseling in three school districts, has served more than 12,000 individuals over time, and currently supports about 1,200 active clients.

Cody has remained deeply involved in community leadership and volunteer service. He served two years as Board President of the North Iowa Soccer Club, coached youth soccer, and coached Mason City youth recreation sports. For more than 10 years, he has volunteered with Family Treatment Court, helping parents achieve sobriety and reunite with their children. He serves on the Allen Child Protection Center case review advisory committee alongside law enforcement and county officials, working to address cases involving child abuse. He also previously led Teen Screen through United Way, helping identify depression and suicide risk among local ninth grade students.

Cody lives in rural Clear Lake with his wife and their three children. One child attends the University of Northern Iowa, while their younger two are currently in middle and high school. Together, Cody and his wife operate small cottage rentals on South Shore Clear Lake and recently launched Sugar Moon Farm, a farmers market business offering honey, maple syrup, hot sauces, salsa, jams, and pickles.

Cody is running for Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors, District 2, to bring practical leadership, fiscal responsibility, and real-world experience to county government. He is committed to strengthening families, supporting responsible economic growth, and ensuring Cerro Gordo County remains a place where both rural and city residents can thrive.