Chris Womack is the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Southern Company, one of the nation’s leading energy providers serving 9 million customers nationwide. Born in the Black Belt, Womack is the personification of the heights a child born in the Black Belt can achieve. He is an example to the young people with whom we are working in the Black Belt today, raising their expectations for themselves.

His career and commitment to causes provides a role model for the Black Belt’s next generation and is emblematic of all the Black Belt Community Foundation seeks to nurture and promote. Chris worked his way up the ranks of Southern Company and its subsidiaries. Prior to his current role, he served as chairman, president, and CEO of Georgia Power, leading Southern Company’s largest subsidiary.

A native of Greenville, Alabama, Womack joined Southern Company in 1988. He assumed leadership of Georgia Power after serving as executive vice president and president of external affairs for Southern Company where he led overall external positioning and branding efforts including the company’s public policy strategies and oversaw the company’s governmental and regulatory affairs, corporate communication initiatives, and other external and strategic business engagements.

Prior to joining Southern Company, Womack worked on Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC. He served as a legislative aide for former Congressman Leon E. Panetta and as staff director for the Subcommittee on Personnel and Police for the Committee on House Administration.

Chris is chair of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and has chaired the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau board and the Atlanta Sports Council. He has received honors, awards, and recognitions too numerous to mention.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University, where he played varsity baseball, and a master’s degree from The American University. He completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2001.