Mr McDonald, 47, was a passionate advocate for cycling and the business community in Southland.
He was elected president of the chamber in April and was the owner of Good Tech Team, which opened in 2022.
A "born and bred" Southlander from Winton, Mr McDonald moved to Invercargill 35 years ago and described himself as a advocate for the region.
"Being involved in the sales sector has given me great opportunities to meet businesspeople from different sectors throughout the province and help me understand why Southland is an amazing place to work, live and raise a family," his profile on the chamber’s website stated.
He also had been on many governance groups, including school boards and Cycling Southland, holding both member and chairman positions.
Mr McDonald also was involved with numerous community fundraising events — particularly the Westpac Chopper Appeal, of which he was the organiser.
He told the Otago Daily Times in May the event supported a very important service for many New Zealanders — including himself, as in 2019 Mr McDonald was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital after suffering a heart attack on his way to work.
