Sandy D. Womack Jr. was born in Canton, Ohio.  He is the son of Donna Brown (Jemison, Alabama) and the late Sandy D. Womack Sr. He is a graduate of Buchtel High School in the Akron Public School system. He was born in 1969. He is the oldest of three. His siblings reside in Alabama and California respectively.


Sandy earned a scholarship to attend Mt. Union College, after completing his senior year as the Ohio 138lb State Wrestling Championship runner-up.  He completed his final two years in high school with over 60 wins. Sandy was ranked first in the nation by USA Wrestling Magazine at 150 lbs. NCAA III in 1991.Sandy is a 2X NCAA All-American at 150lbs placing 3rd and 4th in the nation in 1990 and 1991.  He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Iota Phi chapter where he served as chapter president. 


Sandy was awarded a Graduate Assistantship in 1995 from the University of Akron and completed his Master’s Degree in 1997. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Mt. Union College in 92. Sandy earned the Ohio Superintendents License at Kent State University in 2004. Sandy is presently working on his Doctorate of Educational Leadership at Ashland University.  Sandy is very involved in social activism, as a student at Mt. Union College he and his fraternity brother established community partnerships that promoted the start of the African American student Grow Your Own Project, Director of Multicultural Affairs position, and the recognition of the Martin L. King Jr. Day at Mt. Union College in 1990.


Sandy’s passion for guiding students has afforded him the opportunity to teach in Alliance, Columbus (Martin Essex School for the Gifted), and Cleveland Public Schools.  He taught and served as Assistant Principal in the Akron Public Schools. At 30, Sandy became principal at Lathrop Elementary School in Canton, Ohio. He and his staff were very successful in turning around the lowest performing elementary school in Canton into a school of choice. He became Director of Pupil Services in 2007 and was promoted to the Director of School Improvement for Canton City Schools in 2008. Sandy currently serves as the principal for Hartford Middle School, which moved from Academic Emergency (F) to Effective (B) in a three year period.


Sandy has published several articles promoting African American culture and addressing issues related to poverty and community activism. He authored his autobiographical book Even the Best of Plans Go Astray.  Sandy is the husband of Monica Womack and the father of three daughters: Alexis, Imani and Nia Womack.  Sandy is the owner of the Ohio Education and Prevention Association, an educational consulting group focusing on inner city youth.


Sandy has spoke and presented all over the United States. He recently was awarded the Whitney M. Young Award by the Boy Scouts of America (2010) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Education Award (2011) from the Mayors MLK Commission. His school (Hartford MS) was 1 of only 14 in the nation to receive the $100,000 Eisenhower Foundation grant in 2012 and one of only eleven to receive the $50,000 Verizon PLC grant in 2012-13.

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Sandy’s goal is to start his own schools. “Our African American students don’t see themselves in the curriculum. In many cases the relationship between education and life’s choices and options are not connecting for my students. This creates high levels of generational poverty and poverty is a multi-billion dollar business.” I believe we can change this!