Prior to his appointment as Register, Bill served for ten years as an elected County Commissioner for Norfolk County, and as a Trustee of Norfolk County’s highly regarded Agricultural High School. He previously served as a member of the Democratic State Committee and the Norwood Planning Board.

A graduate of Boston College Law School, Georgetown University, and Xaverian Brothers High School, Bill was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1985. He served as an Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County, and thereafter went into private practice, which included real estate, conveyancing and related areas. He is active in local and regional bar activities, and served on the New England Sinai Hospital Board of Directors and as an officer of the Norfolk County Bar Association, including President

Bill and his wife, Susan J. (Thornton) O’Donnell, live in Norwood and have three children, William, Jennifer, and James.

O’Donnell is a member of the Norwood Democratic Town Committee, a former member of Norwood’s representative town meeting, and has coached as a volunteer in Norwood’s youth baseball and hockey programs.