Hometown Hillsdale: Greg Bailey, ’89
Written by Stephanie Gordon
He has spent his life devoted to many things: his family, the family accounting business, the local hospital, the City of Hillsdale, and several non-profit organizations in the Hillsdale community. He has a name that can’t be missed. He’s Greg Bailey, ’89.
Greg comes from a family with deep roots in Hillsdale County. His maternal grandparents lived on a centennial farm and his paternal great-grandfather was involved with township government, while his grandmother taught at a local one-room schoolhouse. Although Greg was born in Detroit, his family moved back to the Hillsdale area in 1976 after an eight-year stint in the Motor City.
When it came time to pick a college, the Jonesville High School graduate had narrowed down his search to two choices: Hillsdale College and Western Michigan University. “I chose Hillsdale College, despite my poor showing on a trumpet audition for the Music Department,” Greg laughed. “Dr. Anthony (Tony) McDonald told me I was one of the most nervous students who ever auditioned, but I still somehow received academic and music scholarships.”
Although Greg was an accounting major, he stayed active with music during his time as a student. He was involved with the jazz band all four years, in addition to the College Community Orchestra, now called the Hillsdale College Symphony Orchestra. He spent a semester in Oxford his junior year, and recalls a great fondness for former professors Febes Facey and John Willson.
“I grew up with accounting, so I chose to major in it,” said Greg. “Instead of going to Florida for spring breaks, I was home helping with tax returns. I like puzzles and math because they always come fairly easy to me. I enjoy the whole concept of accounting.”
Greg met his wife, Patti Foust Bailey, ’87, his sophomore year. “We met in the lobby of the Keefer Hotel, trying out for Grease the musical,” said Greg. “I didn’t make much of an impression on her that day, but I was awe-struck from that moment. We recently celebrated 35 years of marriage.”
The couple married in 1989 and focused on their careers. Patti was active in the fashion industry and Greg would soon become a part of the family accounting business. “I went out waterskiing with my dad, and I said, ‘Why don’t I come work with you?’ I joined my dad in 1992, and we started Bailey and Bailey, P.C.,” Greg said.
Greg worked with his parents for 25 years and has been with the firm for 32 years. Kelly Hodshire, ’89, joined the accounting firm in 2002. Bailey, Hodshire and Co., is still an accounting staple in Hillsdale County. The business has been operating for more than 40 years.
Outside of the office, Greg has served the local government and numerous businesses and organizations in the Hillsdale community. He was a city councilman from 1992-1996, and he served as mayor from 1996-2001. Greg joined the Hillsdale Hospital board in 1997 and served for several years before becoming the board chairman in 2005. He’s been a long-time member of the Hillsdale Arts Chorale and the Rotary Club of Hillsdale.
Greg and Patti have two children, Ryan and Megan, who are now blessing the couple with grandchildren. Their son Ryan and his wife Sabrina have a daughter, with another on the way in 2025. Their daughter Megan and her husband Seth just welcomed a son in October 2024. “We have the grandkid magnet—a pool,” smiled Greg. “We look forward to many more memories in our home, and now with our grandchildren.”
“Hillsdale is a great place to raise a family,” Greg concluded. “My family history is here, my wife’s family history is here, and most of our family continues to live here. Hillsdale is home, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Stephanie Gordon, a lifelong Hillsdale native, is the managing editor of Virtue and Valor: The Official Blog of Hillsdale College. She is married to chiropractor, Dr. Matt Gordon, and has three children – Eloise, Flora, and Jack. When she has a spare moment, she enjoys paleo baking, floating on Baw Beese Lake, and breaking a sweat at the gym.
Published in December 2024