Thad Balkman was born October 23, 1971 in Long Beach, California. Although Thad was raised in Southern California, his ancestors were among some of the first settlers in Oklahoma, including his maternal great, great-grandfather who was in the Land Run of 1889 and settled near present day Perkins.

Thad is a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He interrupted his college schooling to serve a two-year, Spanish speaking mission in Cordoba Argentina and Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Thad graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Political Science.

In 1994, Thad and his wife Amy moved to Norman, where he has lived ever since. Thad graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. While at Law School, Thad was active in the Student Bar Association, serving as the Second Year Class President. Thad is a licensed attorney and practices law when not in session.

When Thad is not busy with work, he spends his time as a volunteer ecclesiastical leader in his local church.

Thad has a strong sense of obligation to the health care of Oklahoma. He serves as Chairman of the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee for Health and Social Services and writes budgets for six state health care agencies. In 2004, Thad carried legislation that expanded Oklahoma Drug Court program statewide, making Oklahoma the leading state in the nation in terms of its commitment to this program for drug and alcohol offenders. Thad also served on the Medicaid Reform Task Force in 2005, which identified savings of over $100 million to be redirected towards better patient care.

Thad's favorite activities include spending time at home with his wife Amy and their children Adeline, Jackson, Miles and Harrison. Thad also enjoys reading nonfiction and watching Sooner sports.