The SREB works to help guide improvement in public education across the region. The committee assumes a leadership role of the 80-member board, makes budget recommendations and exercises decision-making powers on behalf of the board.

Womack served in the State Senate for 12 years from 1988 to 2000. He was a member of the Senate Education Committee and chaired the body during his final four years. He joined the SREB in 1993, was reappointed in 2000 and has served on the board throughout this decade.

Members of the Womack family have been avid supporters of Middle Tennessee State University for many years—to the point that their name is synonymous with the growth and development of the university throughout the decades.

Last year, the Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education was renamed the Womack Family Educational Leadership Department.