A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, BerThaddaeus is the 11th child of the late, Reverend, Dr. Bertrand Maurice Bailey Sr. and Mrs. Juandalyn Joan Bailey. He is the first student to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Public and Business Administration from The University of Oklahoma (OU), simultaneously.
During his academic tenure at OU, he was featured on CNN, MSNBC and Good Morning America as a representative for the student body as the Director of Diversity addressing racial tensions that followed a tumultuous event on campus. In the aftermath, he was extremely instrumental in implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives on OU’s campus. Upon graduation, BerThaddaeus was requested to return to the university to serve as a part-time adjunct professor, instructing a course on “Cultural Awareness”.
Professionally, for the past 5 years, BerThaddaeus has served as a Senior policy analyst for the State of Oklahoma’s health care and child support programs. He has assisted the State in securing over $100 million in federal funding to support a plethora of Oklahoma’s health care initiatives.
BerThaddaeus has been deeply engaged in community work. He is the founder of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Speaks 4 You, Inc., where he and other financial experts assists students from underprivileged backgrounds in achieving scholarships for their college education. He also founded the Dr. Jerome B. Wade Scholarship (named in memory of his childhood mentor), which has successfully awarded thousands of dollars in financial support to graduating seniors in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
BerThaddaeus is a proud member of the oldest, boldest, and coldest intercollegiate Greek letter fraternity for Black men, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
BerThaddaeus’ gift of organizational leadership, speaking, and policy planning and development has afforded him extraordinary opportunities. In 2015 he served as a Congressional Intern in Washington, DC with the Congressional Black Caucus for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee.
However, his proudest achievement came in March of 2018, when he married the love of his life, JaQuitta Danielle Bailey. JaQuitta is one of few Blacks working in meteorology at Weathernews America. In December of 2020, they welcomed their first daughter and princess, Amara Bailey.
When asked about his lifelong aspirations and goals, humbly he responds, “If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, then my living will not be in vain.”