A former chief executive at Destination Rotorua, Rawson moved to Nelson in 2016 to head the newly formed NRDA – a merger of Nelson Tasman Tourism and the Economic Development Agency.
NRDA acting chairwoman Sarah-Jane Weir said Rawson’s tenure had occurred during a “significant period for organising and advancing economic development in Nelson Tasman”.
Under his leadership, the organisation had worked to deliver a number of legacy projects to further the Nelson Tasman regional identity, she said.
The Project Kōkiri collaboration to drive the COVID-19 economic recovery had seen the agency involved in delivering a coordinated regional response to the pandemic on top of its usual work programme.