Fox Chicago Political Analyst Also a Familiar Sight in La Grange, La Grange Park

Residents of La Grange and La Grange Park might know Thom Serafin as someone they see often on WFLD-TV, Fox Chicago News, as a political consultant and owner of a River North public affairs firm, Serafin & Associates.

He also coached Babe Ruth and Little League youth baseball in the community for 20 years; goes every year with family members and  groups from his parish, St. Francis  Xavier, to Clarksville, Miss., to build and repair homes for low-income families through Habitat for Humanity; and has been a commonly seen spectator at local youth sports games.

Serafin lived in La Grange since 1991 until moving six years ago into La Grange Park. He, his wife and two sons enjoy the Christmas Walk and other activities in La Grange.

“It’s one of those communities where it’s impossible not to be busy,” Serafin said.

He had been working for U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski when a first son, Mitchell, was born to him and his wife, Ann, and their Lincoln Park townhome became too small. They were familiar with La Grange because his wife’s relative, Joan “Jodi” Wallace, was a clerk there from 1989 to 1993. The Serafins bought a home near Ogden and Kensington avenues and lived there 15 years. He  was convinced to buy a former farmhouse in La Grange Park, tear it down and build a new home.

Born as Thomas, his name was shortened by his French-Canadian mother to Thom, the same as her father. “I don’t know if that’s French- Canadian. Now it’s an unusual name.”

He grew up in a rough neighborhood of Milwaukee but his family moved to Peoria, around 1969, when his father got a chance to open a store for which Serafin drove a truck.

Avoiding military service when his birthday drew a high draft number of 303, Serafin decided to go for his bachelor’s degree in communications at Sangamon State University, now the University of Illinois at Springfield.

After losing to Dan Walker in the 1972 Democratic primary for Illinois governor, Paul Simon started a Public Affairs Reporting master’s degree program at Sangamon and convinced Serafin to be in the second class.

After finishing his degree, Serafin worked for the Capitol Information Bureau, reporting on the Illinois legislature for 45 to 50 radio stations in the state. “The (university) president asked me if I could write. I said ‘sure.’”

He did work on the street for Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern, was press secretary for Alex Seith during his losing run for U.S. Senate and worked for U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon.

While working for presidential candidate Gary Hart, Serafin met his future wife, Ann Nykanen, who worked as a writer and producer for Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson on WBBM-TV in Chicago. Channel 2 was the No. 1 television station in Chicago at that time and a place where you wanted your candidate to make an appearance, he said.

Ann was the gatekeeper on deciding who would appear on the news program and Serafin dealt with her. “She was tough as nails,” he said, also describing her as similar to the Holly Hunter character in the movie, “Broadcast News.” She worked as a producer for WBBM-TV from 1981 to 1996 and now works at WFLD-TV, where she produces news segments for anchor Robin Robinson. Ann won a 2008/2009 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award for producing a health/medical specialty report called, Keeping it Straight.

He worked for other politicians, including Aurelia Pucinski, former Cook County Circuit Court clerk, and Carol Moseley-Braun, former U.S. senator, in Illinois.

“U.S. Senate rules wouldn’t let me earn more than $25,000 a year and still work for the Senate. I set up shop in Chicago,” Serafin said.

Serafin & Associates started as a political consultant and got into public relations and public affairs—“anything that impacts public opinion.”  

Clients have included Walmart; Arlington Park Race Course; Vulcan Materials; Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; and Westfield Concession Management as it sought and won a 20-year contract to oversee retail and food sales in Terminal 5 at O’Hare Airport.

His company, ”stopped working for money for politicians 10 to 15 years ago,” explaining that once you get married and have children, you need to be at home, not on the road. “I loved it,” he said about working for politicians. “It’s tough losing, but it’s great to see the results.” 

Serafin was able to watch as his sons grew up. His oldest son is a sophomore at Northwestern University and the youngest is a junior at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park.

His brother-in-law and sons go down to Clarksville every year as part of a group of 20 to 22 from St. Frances helping Habitat for Humanity. They have done this for three or four years and stay about one week each time.

“We drive down and work on a house. My sons learn the difference between b.s. life and real life,” he said. “We live in the same rooms, The people down there are terrific.”

Since the group went down there, they finished three houses. He said his dad taught him how to use tools, and basic skills. 

Serafin has been a political analyst on Chicago television stations since the mid-1980s and got the job at Fox Chicago, 10 to 15 years ago, through the connection with Rostenkowski. The former congressman had just got out jail in the mid-90s on mail fraud charges and Serafin suggested he would be terrific with what was going on in politics. Serafin and Rostenkowski went to a meeting with Fox and they hired him. One day when Rostenkowski could not make it, Serafin  filled in and got a start on a job he has been doing since then.

“They use me as a consultant. I talk about things that went on during the week,” he said about the job that does pay a fee but requires him to read and do research before his appearances.

Asked if seeing him on television attracts clients, he replied, “I don’t know if it helps the business. It helps me stay sharp.”

His friendship with Paul Simon enabled Serafin  to go with him about 10 years ago to Cuba, where a group of five or six people from Illinois had lunch with then-leader Fidel Castro. 

“I’ve always been fascinated with Cuba,” Serafin said. Simon had wanted a Caribbean summit at Southern Illinois University, where he was teaching. An earlier attempt was postponed, but they made the trip in February 2001. Simon’s son and the president of SIU also were on the trip.

“We went to a convention center. A Mercedes drove up. Castro must have been in his 70s at the time. He bounds out of the car like a 19-year-old.”

“We talked about all things. He speaks perfect English,” he said, adding they met from 1 to 6 p.m.

During a discussion about health care, Castro looked at Serafin and surprised him by saying, “You have a small business in Chicago.” The Cuban leader followed up and asked how his business handles health care.

Serafin answered and happened to mention he has acid indigestion. Castro said he has the same problem and replaced the orange juice on the table with a good wine, according to the La Grange Park resident.

He also gave Castro a baseball bat signed by Magglio Ordonez, then with the Chicago White Sox. Castro swung the bat, different from the aluminum bats used in Cuba.

The day, La Grange Patch interviewed Serafin also was the 100th day in office for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Asked for an analysis, he said Emanuel, “has a lot of energy, a lot of appetite to do things. He hasn’t made any big mistakes.’