(1) “Appointing authority” means a commissioner, department, officer or agency having power to make appointments to, and separations from, positions in state service;

(2) “Board of appeals” refers to the state employees' appeals board established by § 8-30-108 of this chapter;

(3) “Class” or “class of positions” means a group of positions in state service determined by the commissioner to have sufficiently similar duties, authority, and responsibility such that:

(A) The same qualifications may be reasonably required for; and

(B) The same schedule of pay may be equitably applied to;

(4) “Commissioner” refers to the commissioner of human resources appointed under § 8-30-104;

(5) “Department” refers to the department of human resources pursuant to § 8-30-104. The term includes the commissioner;

(6) “Eligible” means an applicant meeting minimum qualifications whose name is on a list;

(7) “Executive service” means all other positions that have not been placed under the preferred service and as are described in § 8-30-202;

(8) “List” means a list of eligibles, including, but not limited to, a promotion list;

(9) “List of eligibles” means a list of applicants who meet the minimum qualifications for appointment to a position as determined by the department;

(10) “Official station” means the town or city where the employee performs a majority of the employee's duties;

(11) “Preferred service” means all offices and positions of employment in the state service that have been placed under the preferred service provisions of this chapter;

(12) “State agency” means an authority, board, branch, commission, committee, department, division, or other instrumentality in state service that is subject to this chapter; and

(13) “State service” shall have the same meaning assigned in § 8-30-102(a).