Sally Burton was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire in 2012. Up to her appointment as Vice Lord-Lieutenant, she has chaired the Community Engagement Panel, whose remit is to forge links between the Lieutenancy and the communities within the county, and also the North Herts/Stevenage Area Panel.

She served as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 2022-23. During her year, her focus was on the impact of substance misuse, leading to the creation of an Annual Symposium on Drugs & Alcohol, which has now been adopted as a Project by the University of Hertfordshire. In September 2023 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University.

Sally is Patron of The Living Room in Stevenage, a charity offering group therapy for adults living with addiction, Patron of the Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline and sits on the Survivors Against Domestic Abuse (SADA) Strategic Board and the Stevenage SoSafe Community Safety Partnership Board.

As a Trustee of the Hertfordshire Community Foundation, she chairs the Grants Committee, which distributes hundreds of grants to voluntary groups across the county. She has chaired the Fighting Breast Cancer Committee for more than thirty years, raising well over half a million pounds for breast cancer research and care. She has also served as a school governor and chaired many voluntary groups in Hertfordshire.

Sally studied law at Bristol University and qualified as a solicitor in 1981. After a short spell in private practice and working for the Law Society, she moved to Hertfordshire in 1985, where her main activities have involved work in the voluntary sector. She is married to Mark, with three adult children and two brown standard poodles, Tiffin and Teacake. She loves playing tennis and skiing, trips to the theatre and discovering new restaurants. Her current project is trying to become fluent in French.

Sally was appointed Vice Lord-Lieutenant on 19^th January 2026.