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 and businesses nationwide with electric utilities in three states and natural gas distribution utilities in four, as well as providing wholesale energy, customized distributed energy solutions and fiber optics and wireless communications across the country.

 

A transformative leader in the U.S. energy sector with over 35 years of experience, Chris is leading Southern Company to meet energy demand, while maintaining affordability and reliability for customers. From advancing  the Vogtle nuclear expansion to championing cutting-edge technologies, he has consistently driven progress through innovation. Under his leadership, Southern Company is navigating a pivotal era—delivering the energy solutions customers and communities need for today and tomorrow. A recognized national thought leader, Womack’s strategic vision and focus on culture are shaping the future of energy and redefining what’s possible for the industry.

 

Prior to his current role, Chris served as chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power, Southern Company’s largest subsidiary. From completing the world’s largest hydrogen fuel blend test at the time to championing inclusion efforts across the company and its region, he oversaw the team in its proactive, innovative and transformational efforts to continue meeting the energy needs of the State of Georgia for future generations during his time leading Georgia Power.

 

A native of Greenville, Alabama, Womack joined Southern Company in 1988 and has held a number of senior executive roles across the company. He has served 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, governmental and regulatory affairs, and corporate communication initiatives. Chris  has also served as executive vice president of external affairs at Georgia Power, senior vice president and senior production officer of Southern Company Generation, senior vice president of human resources and chief people officer at Southern Company, as well as senior vice president of public relations and corporate services at Alabama Power.

Prior to joining Southern Company, Womack worked on Capitol Hill for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. 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.

 

Womack is vice chair of the Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) board of directors, second vice chair of the board of directors of Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and a member of the board of directors of Invesco Ltd. and  vice chairman of the Georgia Ports Authority. He is past chair of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, past chair of the board of the East Lake Foundation and is on the national board of The First Tee. Womack has chaired the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau board, the Atlanta Sports Council and the board for Communities in Schools of Georgia. He has received numerous honors, awards and recognitions.

 

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and a master’s degree from The American University and completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2001.

 

Brother Martin Luther King, III

With hate crimes rising, movements against social injustices sprouting, and an electorate that is deeply divided, perhaps at no other time in recent history has our world needed the clear thinking and solutions-oriented voice of civil rights advocate and global humanitarian Martin Luther King III.

From speaking to thousands at the 60th Anniversary of  March On Washington in August 2023 to his dozens of arrests during peaceful protests, Mr. King is shepherding the healing of our nation and the world. He is connecting the important lessons of the past with the critical needs of our future and motivating a new generation of authentic leaders, while empowering others to use their voices to bring about change as well. 

As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III is a thought leader on the world stage, a peace maker, and a negotiator on some of today’s most critical national and international platforms for social change. Amplifying the work of his father, Mr. King and his wife Arndrea have devoted their lives to promoting global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty, earning a reputation as a respected international statesman and one of the world’s most passionate advocates for the poor and oppressed.

Mr. King speaks on a variety of topics such as the importance of continuing the struggle for civil rights and taking a stand against adversity, emphasizing the importance of individual action in making his father’s dream a reality and challenging us all to do better.

More recently, Mr. King and Mrs. King launched an effort to fund Black and Brown organizers across the country. The first round of funding went to 40 organizations whose missions are to mobilize voters in key states. By 2024, the Drum Major Coalition will invest $100 million in grassroots organizations from coast to coast. 

Mr. King and Mrs. King recently announced the Realize the Dream Initiative, with the ambitious goal of collecting 100 million service hours by Dr. King’s 100th birthday, on January 15, 2029. Through strategic partnerships and relationships with civil rights leaders and prominent activists, Mr. King and Mrs. King are committed to realizing the dream and empowering the next generation of activists.

Mr. King regularly appears on CNN, MSNBC, NBC News, and ABC News. His writings have been published in The Washington Post, The New York Times, on CNN.com, and other major news outlets.