The Hays boss received her appointment on 3 April following a warrant direct from His Majesty’s Privy Council.
High Sheriff is an honorary, non-political appointment given each year by the monarch. Dating back to Saxon times, High Sheriffs support the Crown and the judiciary while promoting the voluntary sector in their own county.
During the ceremony Hays was joined by Lord Lieutenant Lucy Winskell OBE as well as the region’s mayors.
“As a woman of the north-east it is a great honour to represent Tyne and Wear as High Sheriff,” she told dignitaries.
