Mr Kenyon, who hails from the Mornington Peninsula, started in the role in November 2015.

He said he felt the organisation had made a big dent on many economic development projects in the past three years, but he felt it was time for him to retire.

He said there were a number of projects he was proud to work on during his time in the region.

“The weather radar is certainly a big one, and the socio-economic value of recreational and environmental water report,” he said.

“The 10-year cycling strategy for the Grampians region and the Indigenous tourism strategy were important, as was progress on the pulse protein project.

“We had a successful period with Leadership Wimmera graduations, and we’ve worked with the Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Partnership on the Grains Centre of Excellence and AgTIDE projects.

“We had our business awards this year, and that was the second one I’ve been involved in.

“I think they were extremely successful.”

Mr Kenyon said he had enjoyed meeting so many people in the region during his tenure, and this was what he would miss most.

“The councillors and staff in each of the councils have been really welcoming – the collaboration across the Wimmera Southern Mallee is quite extraordinary,” he said.

“I haven't experienced that level of co-operation in other regions I’ve worked in, and I think that's a real strength of this region.

“Working on projects like the return of passenger rail and the cycling strategy have brought us into contact with more than just the Wimmera Southern Mallee – the relationships we've built with other municipalities outside the region has been really positive.”

Mr Kenyon said he believed the potential of the region to expand and grow was only just starting to be realised, through work on electricity grid upgrades and the opportunities for renewable energy.

He said retirement would involved maintenance work on his Mornington Peninsula home, travelling, and spending time with his family.