MILWAUKEE — TMJ4 is saying goodbye to longtime receptionist Brenda Serio, who has worked at the station for 47 years. She first walked into TMJ4 in March 1978 at the age of 18.
“I couldn't believe I was meeting John McCullough, Mike Gousha, and Mike Jacobs. TV royalty, to me,” Serio said. “And just the excitement and buzz of being in a newsroom. And I still love it 47 years later.”
Throughout her time at TMJ4, Serio witnessed many changes in the newsroom, including many technological advancements.
Watch: Beloved TMJ4 receptionist retires after 47 years:
“There was only one computer, and it was assigned to me for my first job in accounting. I almost quit after the first week, that computer stuff was overwhelming,” Serio reminisced. “Coming from the days of typewriters and whiteout, adding machines, and carbon paper, this was the stuff of science fiction! One of my former managers told me to give it a chance and keep an open mind, and I guess it worked out after all!”
Through the years, Serio was able to attend the World Series, countless company and TV premiere parties with clients, and even a Miami Vice party that had a photo shoot for posters featuring herself.
“Getting to meet TV stars, sit in our news chopper at a client event,” Serio said. “Tailgating at Milwaukee County Stadium for sales events. The list goes on... and they called working at a TV station 'work.'”
Serio described the spontaneous nature of working at a TV station, never knowing who you might run into. A moment that stuck with her in particular was when she got to meet Cesar Millan.
“Walking out of the coffee closet and running into Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, in the hallway, I almost spilled that coffee,” Serio exclaimed. “He was here for a Morning Blend segment... did I say I love my job?”
Serio also recalled when, last fall, a friend of hers reached out about a tiny kitten they were trying to save from a drainage pipe.
It wasn’t long before TMJ4 had a crew on the scene, covering the story. Thankfully, it had a happy ending, with the kitten—later named Piper—being saved and finding a forever home.
“I will miss working here; it’s all I have ever known, and I’ve been blessed with it for 47 years. But most of all, I will miss all of you,” Serio declared. “Without you, TMJ4 would be a little easier to leave today. I loved sharing your birthdays, anniversaries, how your weekends were, and just getting to know you as my friends.”
But Serio isn’t finished yet. Starting in May, she plans to volunteer to take on hospice pups that need a soft place to land.
“My life has been dedicated to saving senior pups, and I now will have the free time to take them for wagon rides, sit with them outside while I read a book under a tree, while they nap,” Serio said. “Or maybe take a drive to TMJ4 so they can meet some really, really good people.”
Serio’s deep affection for her colleagues and her work has undoubtedly left an indelible mark, and her next adventure promises to be just as meaningful as the one she’s leaving behind.
From all of us at TMJ4, congratulations on your retirement, and we wish you the very best in your next chapter!
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