John Bailey

Biographical information

John T. Bailey was born and raised in Danville, Virginia. He attended public schools in Princeton, New Jersey and graduated from South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. After graduation, Bailey attended Wagner College on an athletic scholarship. John Bailey entered the 1971 ABA Special Circumstances Basketball Draft and was assigned to the Virginia Squires. In 1973 was a community organizer and eventually became the Executive Director of the Princeton Youth Center.

In 1976, John moved his family to Denver where he became the head of the CU student government and played a significant role in a number of other national and local campaigns as a political consultant. In addition, he knows first-hand the world of a small business owner. For several years John was the President and owner of a small sportswear business and currently owns The Bailey Consulting Network, a community consulting business emphasizing organizational outreach development for corporate, political, and community programs. John also knows youth. His commitment and guidance to Joint Effort Youth Foundation, (a youth development sports and education program) he founded for Colorado and Denver metro youth, is known throughout the state and nation for its positive impact on young people and student-athletes. John has assisted over 3,000 young people secure scholarships and/or financial support to college.

Over the past 40 years, his outstanding community service involvement has included volunteering for the YMCA, numerous city programs and recreation centers (Glenarm, St. Charles, Skyland, Montbello, Cook Park, La Alma, Ford Warren Library, Five Points Business Association, Groff/Tanner Community Office, Urban League, Daddy Bruce, Regular Fellows Social Club, etc). In addition, he has been devoted to scores of youth programs and activities as well as supporting the efforts of many other neighborhood groups, churches, sororities, fraternities, and organizations which provide direct services to youth, seniors, and families in metro Denver’s diverse communities.

John has been very influential in the Denver community and has a knack for asking the hard questions. His hard work-no nonsense attitude, his problems solving and organizational skills as well as his sense of humor have gained him high respect from all sectors of the Denver and national communities. In1991, John was instrumental in President George Bush’s community development, anti-gang/anti-drug program known as Weed and Seed. In 1993, he served as one of President Clinton’s liaisons for community relations and as a result was a key architect in helping communities across the country, including Denver, develop strategies to combat gang violence and juvenile drug use, as well as creating Safe Havens for community programs and citizens.

John Bailey is the Principal for the Bailey Consulting Network, a grassroots company providing corporate-community engagement, community development strategies as well as political campaign support. He is also the guiding force of the Colorado Black Round Table (CBRT), one of Colorado’s major Black Community Organizations whose purpose and mission is to provide advocacy, information and programs for African American Colorado citizens. In addition, John is the Lead Convener of the Black Economic Opportunities Council(BEOC), whose mission is to bring corporate Colorado and the Black Business community together and the Director of the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative, which focuses on social equity in the Colorado cannabis landscape.

John Bailey has three sons and was married to esteemed Denver Educator, Researcher and Anthropologist, Dr. Sharon Brown Bailey.