Smitty Pignatelli
State Representative , Commonwealth of Massachusetts
William "Smitty" Pignatelli is a Democratic member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 4th Berkshire District – the largest legislative district in the House.
Smitty, as he prefers to be called, was named after his father’s best friend, William Smith, who was killed during World War II. Born and raised in Lenox, Massachusetts, Smitty graduated from the Lenox Public School System in 1977. Smitty became a licensed Master Electrician and worked in his family’s electrical contracting business for twenty years. Smitty took over the full operation of the business at the time of his father’s retirement in 1991. Smitty left the family business to his brother Scott, in 1998, when he was offered a position as the Business Development Manager for a local bank. While at the bank, he attended Babson College School for Financial Studies, graduating in 2001.
Smitty was first elected to the Lenox Planning Board in 1987 and served on that board for five years. In 1992, he was elected to the Board of Selectmen, and was elected Chairman on four different occasions, serving until May of 2003. Smitty also served from 1995-1999 as a Berkshire County Commissioner including two years as Chairman of the board.
Longing to serve the people of his beloved Berkshire District, he decided to leave the bank to pursue his dream of public service and run for higher office. Smitty won the seat of State Representative for the 4th Berkshire District and is currently serving his tenth term in the House of Representatives.
With over 40 years of public service experience, Smitty has played an active role in many local associations. He has served on the Laurel Lake Preservation Association and previously served six years on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross. He has been a member of the Berkshire County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Board of Directors of the Berkshire Visitors Bureau and is a former President of the Lenox Historical Society.
In 2017, Smitty was appointed to serve as House Chairman for the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the House Rules Committee, and as a member of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development and the Joint Committee on Education.