DULUTH, Minn. — Matt Baumgartner is no longer president of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce following his second drunken-driving arrest since taking charge of the organization in 2021.
The chamber’s board of directors announced Baumgartner’s departure Wednesday, two days after prosecutors charged him with second-degree driving while impaired and a misdemeanor open-bottle violation. The board did not say whether Baumgartner resigned or was dismissed.
Baumgartner was arrested July 31 after police found him slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle in the Taco Bell drive-through at 21st Avenue East and London Road, according to court records.
The arrest was Baumgartner’s second for DWI during his tenure as chamber president and his fourth lifetime DWI-related incident.
Baumgartner remained chamber president following a 2023 arrest that resulted in a conviction for second-degree DWI. A judge stayed a 363-day jail sentence for two years.
Board Chair Pat DeGrood said the organization will begin planning a nationwide search for Baumgartner’s successor while determining who will lead the chamber on an interim basis.
“The job of the next chamber president requires navigating challenging relationships between a variety of business and government interests, while at the same time inspiring confidence of over 900 dues paying members,” DeGrood said in a prepared statement.
“We wish Matt the best in his future endeavors and our board is looking forward to a thoughtful process in the coming weeks as we develop plans for temporary leadership and a full search. We will be releasing more information about our future plans as they are available.”
