The Governor shall appoint five (5) members from the congressional districts as they are presently constituted, as follows: The initial member from the First Congressional District shall be appointed for a term of one (1) year; the initial member from the Second Congressional District shall be for a term of two (2) years; the initial member from the Third Congressional District shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years; the initial member from the Fourth Congressional District shall be appointed for a term of four (4) years; the initial member from the Fifth Congressional District shall be appointed for a term of five (5) years.
The members of the board as constituted on July 1, 2007, who are appointed from Congressional Districts and whose terms have not expired shall serve the balance of their terms, after which time the membership of the board shall be appointed as follows: There shall be appointed one (1) member of the board from each of the four (4) Mississippi Congressional Districts as they currently exist. In addition, the Governor shall appoint three (3) members from the state at large. Terms for all members shall be for five (5) years. There shall be no more than two (2) of the three (3) state-at-large members of the board from any one (1) congressional district.
All terms shall begin on January 1 of the appropriate year. No member of the board shall hold any elected office. Appointments made to fill a vacancy of a term shall be made by the appointing officer within sixty (60) days after the vacancy occurs. Any person appointed to fill an unexpired term shall hold office only for and during the unexpired term of the member he succeeds.