A. The Director of the Department of Commerce shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and shall continue to serve until a successor is duly appointed and qualified. The salary of the Director shall be set by law.

B. The Director shall be qualified for such position by character, personality, ability, education, training and successful administrative experience in the public or private sector.

C. The Director shall employ such persons as are necessary to implement the powers and duties of the Department. Because many of the powers and duties of the Department involve working closely with the private sector, certain employee positions of the Department must be governed, classified and compensated in a manner that compares equally to similar positions in the private sector. Therefore, in the annual business plan, the Director shall list, describe and justify all such positions and their compensation and shall designate and place them in unclassified status, exempt from the provisions of the Oklahoma Personnel Act. All other employees and positions shall be classified and subject to the provisions of the Merit System of Personnel Administration as provided in the Oklahoma Personnel Act. Provided, nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the Legislature to specify the status of positions otherwise by law. Neither shall the Director have the authority to circumvent, disregard or otherwise disobey specific provisions of law regarding positions in the Department.

D. The Director shall serve on the board of:

1. The Oklahoma Industrial Finance Authority;

2. The Oklahoma Science and Technology Research and Development Board;

3. The Oklahoma Development Finance Authority;

4. The Executive Bond Oversight Commission; and

5. The Oklahoma Ordnance Works Authority.

E. The Director may serve as administrator of any interlocal agreement or compact to pursue economic development and to assign any employees of the Department or employee personnel to carry out duties or obligations pursuant to any interlocal agreement or compact for economic development.

F. The Director, at his or her discretion, may approve payment for affiliations or memberships of the Department or, if necessary, associate memberships for individual employees in international, national, or state economic development councils, professional organizations, or governmental associations.

Added by Laws 1986, c. 207, § 10, operative July 1, 1986. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 276, § 22, operative July 1, 1986; Laws 1987, c. 222, § 12, operative July 1, 1987. Renumbered from § 5004 by Laws 1987, c. 222, § 122, operative July 1, 1987. Amended by Laws 1990, c. 266, § 34, operative July 1, 1990; Laws 1998, c. 309, § 8, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 2002, c. 484, § 14, eff. July 1, 2002.