Duluth City Administrator Matt Staehling to Leave Feb. 28, Culhane Named Interim

City Administrator Matt Staehling will leave his Duluth post effective Feb. 28, and Mayor Roger Reinert has named Karla Culhane as interim city administrator to lead the office during the transition. Staehling plans to return to St. Cloud in early March to re‑join that city’s executive leadership team.

Mayor Roger Reinert praised Staehling’s tenure, saying, “I am grateful to Administrator Staehling for his leadership and service to Duluth. Matt has been a solid source of stability through budget and policy challenges, and a true happy camper. Under his leadership we have accomplished multiple significant objectives including a balanced budget and moving forward the former Lester Park golf course. We wish him our very best as he returns to the City of St. Cloud.” Staehling added, “I’ve truly enjoyed the time I’ve spent in service here in Duluth. This city, with its unique landscape, community, challenges and opportunities, is fortunate to have some amazing people working here. From front line staff up to the leadership team, across all departments, City of Duluth employees are incredibly dedicated, smart, caring public servants, and I’ll really miss working with the team here.”

Karla Culhane, currently the city’s Director of Administrative Services, assumed the interim assignment upon Staehling’s departure. Culhane “is honored to step into the role and looks forward to working with city leadership to ensure a smooth transition and address ongoing challenges.” Culhane brings nearly 30 years of experience with Duluth municipal operations, including work in information technology, cybersecurity and labor management.

Staehling joined Duluth in 2025 after a long career in St. Cloud municipal government. Records show he began working for the City of St. Cloud in 1996 and served there as assistant city attorney, city attorney and then city administrator beginning in 2016. Accounts variously describe his St. Cloud tenure as “nearly three decades,” “nearly 29 years” and “more than 28 years.” The specifics of the position Staehling will take on in St. Cloud have not been disclosed beyond reports that he will re‑join that city’s executive leadership team in early March.

The change comes at a time when city administration plays a central role in preparing budget proposals and implementing council priorities under Duluth’s mayor-council government. Reinert credited Staehling with shepherding a balanced budget and advancing work on the former Lester Park golf course, though officials have not released detailed fiscal figures or project timelines tied to those items.

Several operational questions remain unanswered. City officials have not specified how long Culhane’s interim assignment will last, whether she will retain her Director of Administrative Services title concurrently, or whether Duluth will launch a formal search for a permanent city administrator and what that timeline would be. Residents and council members interested in budget, public works and long-range planning should expect the mayor’s office and city administration to outline transition plans and any interim adjustments to department oversight in coming weeks.

For now, the appointment emphasizes continuity: Culhane’s deep municipal experience and Staehling’s recognition of Duluth staff signal a managed handoff. The next reporting steps include confirmation of Staehling’s St. Cloud role and a city timeline for filling the permanent administrator position.