Bio
’00 communication studies, political science, Iowa State University
Attorney, Belin McCormick, PC
Des Moines, Iowa
An attorney, former nonprofit executive, and actor/playwright/producer who believes in the power of the humanities to connect, convince, challenge, and change, Paxton Williams was elected as Chair of the Federation Board of Directors at the November 2021 Annual Business Meeting. From 2005-2009, Williams was the executive director of the George Washington Carver Birthplace Association and has continued to support and share Carver’s legacy by serving as associate producer for the Iowa PBS documentary on Carver; serving as a content expert on the National Geographic Reader series book on Carver; and by speaking to media such as National Public Radio and the Royal Horticultural Society’s podcast. Additionally, Williams co-authored a chapter on U.S. electoral politics for a book published by the Federal Institute for Access to Public Information in Mexico City. He was elected to the Federation of State Humanities Councils in 2018 and currently serves as chair. He served as Assistant Attorney General in the state of Iowa from 2014 to 2022. In addition to his degree from Iowa State, he also holds graduate degrees from the University of Michigan (Public Policy), University of Birmingham (Health Care Management) and the University of Chicago (Law).