This Award celebrates the key people who really run Tyneside organisations – secretaries and PAs! Focusing on the very best, both in terms of experience and skills, the Best Secretary on Tyneside Award honours secretaries and PAs who go that extra mile to make a difference.

This year's competition was even stronger than 2008. We had over 70 nominations, from private, public and charity organisations, large and small. After a great deal of deliberation, the judges decided on the 10 finalists, each of whom was interviewed.

This year’s finalists were (in alphabetical order):

Sarah Doick of Watson Burton LLP

Maxine Errington of Age Concern Sunderland

Kim Forster of Universities for the North East

Lorraine Goldfingle of Genisys Technology Limited

Anne Griffiths of Mercer Street Marketing and Consulting Limited

Anne Howes of NewcastleGateshead Initiative

Samantha Jackson of onebestway

Nina Mulligan of Talent Training UK LLP

Lindsey Rivington of Hilton Newcastle Gateshead

Tricia Roe of Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust

Congratulations to all of the finalists.