As president and CEO of Bridge Public Affairs, Todd Womack helps clients navigate the nexus of policy, politics, communications, and strategy to achieve their state, national, and international objectives.
Throughout his career, Todd has been pivotal in passing federal and state legislation, establishing historic public-private partnerships, identifying and solving issues as they arise, and reaching meaningful consensus among diverse stakeholders. Naturally action-oriented, Todd leads the Bridge Team to consistently deliver results to its dozens of clients.
Before founding Bridge in 2019, Todd served as chief of staff and staff director for U.S. Senator Bob Corker, where he managed over 65 professionals in Tennessee and Washington, including the majority and non-designated staff for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Womack was responsible for a $6 million annual budget and oversaw the senator’s legislative strategy, communications, and constituent services. While on Capitol Hill, Womack served as the Republican chair of the Senate’s bipartisan chief of staff organization that creates dialogue and interaction between the 100 Senate chiefs of staff. Todd also led the chiefs of staff study groups that partnered with the Faith and Politics Institute and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Todd is a strong believer in lifelong public service and lends his unique experience and skills to several committees and boards. He serves as board chair of the Hunter Museum, vice chair of the University of Chattanooga Foundation (the endowment for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga), and has been twice appointed by the governor to serve on the advisory board of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Todd also serves as a trustee of the Benwood Foundation, the Public Education Foundation, and is a board member and on the executive committee of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. Todd is a Visiting Fellow at George Mason University’s National Security Institute at the Antonin Scalia Law School. He is also the Board Secretary for the Chattanooga Downtown Rotary Club. In 2013, Todd was selected to join the inaugural class of Leadership Tennessee, a statewide leadership education program, and remains actively involved in the organization. Finally, he is the former chair of the Hamilton County Schools Foundation.
During his time on Capitol Hill, Todd was closely involved in helping Senator Corker develop a wide range of domestic and foreign policy legislation related to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security reform; tax reform; financial regulatory reform; housing finance reform; sanctions on Iran, Russia and North Korea; Ukraine stabilization following Russia’s invasion; food aid reform; and efforts to modernize and reform how the U.S. makes global and nation-specific strategic and developmental investments. Todd gained first-hand insight about world hotspots and other facets of U.S foreign policy, having accompanied Senator Corker, other U.S. senators, and diplomatic officials on dozens of investigative trips throughout the world.
Additionally, he helped develop and lead Corker’s effort to establish the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery – a public-private global effort led by the United States to help free the more than 27 million currently enslaved around the world. In Tennessee, Todd was involved in multiple economic development initiatives benefiting communities across the state and was integrally involved in successfully recruiting Volkswagen’s North American Manufacturing operation to Chattanooga. Todd played a central role in several high-profile projects that will benefit Southeast Tennessee, including the financing agreement for the largest public-private partnership in Hamilton County's history: Erlanger Park.
From 2001 to 2005, Todd served under then-Mayor Bob Corker as communications director for the City of Chattanooga. Todd assisted Corker in attracting $2.1 billion of new investment to Chattanooga, transforming the city’s waterfront and improving local school and law enforcement effectiveness. Many of the efforts then launched continue to distinguish Chattanooga today.
Todd served as political director for Corker’s 2006 U.S. Senate campaign, concurrently serving as communications director and chief spokesman for the 2006 general election. Corker’s victory distinguished him as the only Republican elected to the U.S. Senate that year. Following Corker’s election, Todd was tapped to run the senator-elect’s transition. In 2012, Todd managed the team that led to Corker’s 2012 reelection with nearly 65 percent of the vote.
Todd began his career as a public relations specialist at Erlanger Medical Center, a non-profit, academic teaching center affiliated with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Following his time at Erlanger, he served as the director of public relations and employee communications at Unum Corporation, a leading U.S. disability insurance provider.
A lifelong Tennessean and a proud graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Todd believes in the future of the southeast United States and is an active investor in real estate across the region. He and his wife, Katie, have four children: Laura Kate, Rebekah, John, and Andrew.