Father-of-two, Councillor Stuart Smith, was appointed at the Annual General Meeting of the Council on Thursday 19 May, and was invested officially today, Monday 23 May.
The Independent Councillor for the Saltburn ward will be supported by his wife of 37 years, Sue, who will act as his Mayoress. Sue is a GP Practice Nurse, and together they have two children, Ben and Sam, as well as two grandchildren, Jacob and Joshua.
The new Mayor, who has represented the Saltburn ward since 2011, has chosen to support two charities for his year in office, The Great North Air Ambulance and Teesside Hospice.
He said: “I am proud to be raising money this year for two fantastic charities, who do excellent work in providing support and care to the local community.
“To be elected as Mayor is a great honour and privilege, especially as I will be the first Mayor of the borough who represents the Saltburn ward."
Cllr Smith was brought up on the family farm in the village of Moorsholm and attended Loftus Rosecroft Comprehensive School. After leaving school, he joined Cleveland Police as a Police Cadet and officially joined the Force as a Police Officer in 1980, serving for 30 years in general police duties and the Road Policing Unit. In the latter 10 years of his service, he served as a Neighbourhood Police Officer for the Saltburn area, during which he received national and local recognition on his dedication to Neighbourhood Policing within the community.
He is a keen keep fit enthusiast and a gardener and has been Vice Chairman of Saltburn in Bloom for more than 20 years.
The Deputy Mayor is the Lib Dem Councillor for Redcar's West Dyke ward, Councillor Malcolm Head.