Home · Meet Sam
Samuel R. Shumsky
Ward Six City Council
Chicopee, Massachusetts
I’ve lived in Chicopee for nearly 20 years, and I earned my high school diploma here. I graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 2019, where I studied Machine Tool. From there, I went straight to work, spending seven years in high-precision machining for the medical, aerospace, defense, and weapons manufacturing industries. Before I became involved in politics, I was, and always will be, from a blue-collar background.
I’ve also kept chasing my lifelong dream of a college degree. As a first-generation college student, I am a candidate for a Bachelor’s degree in Business through Purdue University, with graduation anticipated in the first quarter of 2027.
My family’s story is a Chicopee story, and an American one. On my father’s side, my grandfather and my great-grandmother both immigrated from Italy, and my great-grandmother, a Jewish Holocaust survivor from Europe, came to Chicopee after the war. On my mother’s side, my great-great-grandmother came here from Ireland.
Because of all that Chicopee has given me, and because it’s still where my family’s roots are, this city holds my heart. I’ve always believed that if you care about something, you show up for it. That’s what inspired me to get involved in our local government.
Over the last few years, I’ve had the honor of serving our city on the School Committee, the Planning Board (where I served as Vice Chair), and now the City Council, where I serve as Vice President. Along the way, I became one of the youngest elected officials in Chicopee’s history and in Massachusetts — and one of the first people born in the 21st century elected anywhere in the country. But titles and headlines have never been the goal. For me, it’s always been about doing the work and making life better for the people who call Chicopee home.
Whether it’s fighting for better schools, safer streets, cleaner parks, or stronger public services that provide value to taxpayers, I stay focused on the things that matter most to families, seniors, and both small and large businesses across our community. I stand for transparency, push for smart investments, and try to bring a fresh perspective to city government.
At the heart of everything I do is a simple belief: local government should work for everyone. I’m here to listen, to lead with respect, and to help build a future where everyone in Chicopee has the chance to thrive.
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
President John F. Kennedy
That’s a quote I live by — and I’m proud to keep trying every day to make Chicopee the best it can be.
Samuel R. Shumsky
See the full recordBefore politics
Before I ever ran for office, I punched a clock. I’m a working guy first, and that’s the lens I bring to every vote.
Chicopee Comp
I learned a trade at Chicopee Comp in the Machine Tool program: reading blueprints, holding tight tolerances, and making parts that have to be right the first time. In shop class, I worked with the Chicopee Water Department to make specialty tools that helped their crews do the job.
Seven years
For seven years I machined high-precision parts for the medical, aerospace, defense, and weapons manufacturing industries. Tight tolerances, real deadlines, and work that has to be right every time.
Ludlow
I spent a full school year as a full-time building substitute teacher in Ludlow while working toward my college degree, stepping into whatever classroom needed me that day. I used that paycheck to help pay off my student loans.
I’m not a career politician, and I’m not just a kid in a suit. I’ve run the machines, I’ve stood in front of the classroom, and I know what a hard day’s work looks like for the people I represent.
In the community
Better schools, safer crossings, and parks worth walking to — the things that decide whether a family stays and grows here.
Reliable city services, a voice at City Hall, and a government that answers when you call.
Smart investments, sensible zoning, and a corridor strategy that brings customers back to Chicopee.
Service, faith, and fellowship