Thom Serafin is a public affairs consultant specializing in politics and media. He is the founder and CEO of Serafin & Associates, Inc., a Chicago-based firm specializing in

crisis communication Crisis communication is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. Crisis communication is aimed at raising awarenes ...

. Thom is active at his local parish, St. Francis Xavier in La Grange, and is a volunteer usher for Sunday mass. Merrion, Paul
"Political Spinmeister is No Party Animal"
''

Crain's Chicago Business ''Crain's Chicago Business'' is a weekly business newspaper in Chicago, IL. It is owned by Detroit-based Crain Communications, a privately held publishing company with more than 30 magazines, including ''Advertising Age'', ''Modern Healthcare'' ...

'', Chicago, January 03, 1998. Retrieved on 14 July 2015.

has included him in their list of Illinois' 20 most powerful political insiders. Merrion, Paul
"The 20 Most Powerful Political Insiders"
''

'', Chicago, September 7, 2015. Retrieved on 7 September 2015.

Early life

Serafin was born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

. He attended

Sangamon State University The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois s ...

(now the

University of Illinois at Springfield The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois s ...

), and in 1973 earned a B.A. in communications and a minor in film-making. As an undergraduate, he assisted his professor and mentor, future U.S. Senator Paul Simon, in launching the UIS Public Affairs Reporting (PAR) program, and later earned his master's degree in PAR from the program.Bayer, Jessica
"UIS Welcomes Back Thom Serafin"

''The Journal''
Springfield, May 6, 2015. Retrieved on June 4, 2015. Black, Jonathan
"Savvy Strategist"

''UIS Alumni Fall , Winter 2017 ''
Retrieved on July 22, 2021.

Career

Serafin began his career as the

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

correspondent for the Capitol Information Bureau (now the Illinois Radio Network). In 1978, he left his job as a legislative correspondent to become press secretary for

Alex Seith Alex Robert Seith (July 27, 1934 – March 23, 2010) was the 1978 Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Illinois. A complete newcomer to electoral politics, he nearly pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Senate history whe ...

, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, in his challenge to the incumbent U.S. Senator

Charles H. Percy Charles Harting Percy (September 27, 1919 – September 17, 2011) was an American businessman and politician. He was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964, and served as a Republican U.S. senator from Illinois from 1967 ...

. Despite Seith's obscurity, the campaign mounted a strong challenge and nearly pulled off an upset victory. Serafin managed Seith's second Senate bid in 1984; the campaign advertisements Serafin designed were called "corny but effective," beginning his career in politics. His next job in politics was as press secretary for U.S. Senator

Alan Dixon Alan John Dixon (July 7, 1927 – July 6, 2014) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served in the Illinois General Assembly from 1951 to 1971, as the Illinois Treasurer from 1971 to 1977, as the Illinois Secretary of ...

.Herguth, Bob
"Thom M. Serafin"
''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

'', Chicago, February 15, 1988. As Dixon's "top political operative", he worked on campaigns for other Democratic candidates in Illinois, including future U.S. Senator

Dick Durbin Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has served as the Senate Dem ...

's first congressional run and Illinois State Treasurer

James Donnewald James H. Donnewald (January 29, 1925 – September 18, 2009) was an American politician from the state of Illinois. He was a Democrat who served as state Treasurer from 1983 until 1987. Donnewald was born in 1925 in Carlyle, Illinois. A lawy ...

's reelection bid.Serafin, Thom
"Commencement Address"
UIS Commencement, Springfield, May 16, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015. In 1987, he joined

Gary Hart Gary Warren Hart (''né'' Hartpence; born November 28, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was the front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination until he dropped out amid revelations of extramarital affairs. ...

's presidential campaign as its Illinois manager. He was one of two Hart spokesmen to confirm on May 8, 1987, that Hart was withdrawing from the presidential race. Over the following years, Serafin served as a political and media consultant for a number of candidates, including future Illinois Appellate Judge

Aurelia Pucinski Aurelia Marie Pucinski (born April 29, 1947) is a judge on the Illinois Appellate Court for the First District. She previously served as a trial judge and clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Her second term expires in 2030. Early life Bor ...

and the first female African-American U.S. Senator,

Carol Moseley-Braun Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun, also sometimes Moseley-Braun (born August 16, 1947), is a former U.S. Senator, an American diplomat, politician, and lawyer who represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1999. Prior to her Senate ...

.Manson, Ken
"Fox Chicago Political Analyst Also a Familiar Sight in La Grange, La Grange Park"
''La Grange Patch'', La Grange, September 2, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2015. He worked for U.S Representative

Dan Rostenkowski Daniel David Rostenkowski (January 2, 1928 – August 11, 2010) was a United States Representative from Chicago, serving for 36 years, from 1959 to 1995. He became one of the most powerful legislators in Congress, especially in matters of ta ...

for much of the early 1990s, until Rostenkowski's general election loss in 1994. He continued to work on political campaigns, establishing his reputation as an independent by working for both Democrats and Republicans. Serafin & Associates has refocused its business away from campaigns for public office and towards crisis communication for businesses, unions, and non-profits. The firm's clients have included the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities,

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment management and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in more than 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the fir ...

Vulcan Materials Vulcan Materials Company () is an American company based in Birmingham, Alabama. It is principally engaged in the production, distribution and sale of construction materials. Vulcan is the largest producer of construction materials, primarily gra ...

, the Carpenters Union, Ameren Power Company, Arlington Park International Racecourse, Westfield Concession Management and

Dynegy Dynegy Inc. is an electric company based in Houston, Texas, in the United States. It owns and operates a number of power stations in the U.S., all of which are natural gas-fueled or coal-fueled. Dynegy was acquired by Vistra Corp on April 9, 20 ...

. Since 1996, Serafin has hosted an annual holiday party known for attracting Chicago's political, media, and business "A-listers."Bertagnoli, Lisa
“Hot Invites for the Holidays”
''

Crain’s Chicago Business ''Crain's Chicago Business'' is a weekly business newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, IL. It is owned by Detroit-based Crain Communications Inc., Crain Communications, a privately held publishing company with more than 30 magazines, including ''Adve ...

'', Chicago, December 10, 2005. Retrieved August 16, 2015. Held the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the gathering is known to bring people together from "opposing political ndbusiness fronts."Shaw, Andy
"Dispatch from Division: Reform Fight Takes a Party Break"
''Notebook: Official Blog of Better Government Association Investigative Team'', Chicago, December 1, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2015"Recipe for a good holiday party: Lamb chops, hangover and names like Axelrod, Rauner"
''

'', Chicago, December 20, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2015 In 2001, he traveled to

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

as part of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon's delegation of academics and public officials. Serafin was one of the six members of the delegation to share a six-hour luncheon with

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

.Binder, Steve
"CASTRO MEETS SIU GROUP: SIX-HOUR DISCUSSION LEADS TO INVITATION TO RETURN"
''

The Southern Illinoisan ''The Southern Illinoisan'' is a daily newspaper based in Carbondale, Illinois, known locally as "The Southern." As of October 2014, it has a daily circulation of 21,270, and a Sunday circulation of 26,958. It is one of the major regional newspa ...

'', Carbondale, February 22, 2001. Retrieved July 21, 2015. On May 16, 2015, Serafin delivered the commencement address at the

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Serafin, Thom Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Serafin University of Illinois at Springfield alumni