Thomas (Tom) MacDonald was born and raised in Wisconsin. He obtained his undergraduate degree (B.S. in economics and mathematics) and law degree from the University of Wisconsin. Following his graduation from law school in 1981, Tom practiced corporate and securities law in Minneapolis for eight years and served on the board of directors of Golden American Life Insurance Company, an issuer of mutual fund-backed variable annuities. In 1989, Tom joined Seward & Kissel, a mid-sized law firm in New York City. He represented hedge funds, mutual funds and other clients in the money management industry. For health reasons, Tom retired from the firm and from the practice of law in 2002, although he continued to consult for the firm and former clients for some time after that.
After joining Seward & Kissel, Tom moved from Minnesota to Darien with his wife Debra and their two children, Kimberly and David, then ages 5 and 1, respectively. In 2017, Tom and Deb moved from Darien to a condominium in downtown Stamford. While in Darien, Tom was active in coaching youth basketball and football. He spent 10 years on the board of directors of the Darien Junior Football League. He helped to found the Fairfield County Football League and served on its board of directors. Tom also volunteered for At Home in Darien. He and his family were long-time members of the Middlesex Club and St. Thomas More Parish. Tom had been an active squash player, runner, cyclist and downhill skier but now enjoys more sedate activities such as reading and spending time with Deb and their two grandchildren. With Deb having recently retired from Stamford Hospital, Tom and Deb now plan to spend time traveling.
