(a) The Board shall consist of five members who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Appointments shall be for a term of three years and, in the event of death or resignation, successors shall serve out the term of the deceased or resigned member. The terms of members initially appointed shall be set so that not more than two terms shall expire in the same year. Annually, in February after new appointments, the Governor shall designate a chair.

(b) In order for the Board to function in the best interests of the people of the State, Board members should have a knowledge of one or more of the following: geology, engineering, law, State and local government, economic development, environmental protection, regional planning, agriculture, or related fields of knowledge.

(c) A person in the employ of or holding any official relation to any company subject to the supervision of the Board, or engaged in the management of such company, or owning stock, bonds, or other securities thereof, or who is, in any manner, connected with the operation of such company in this State, shall not be a member of the Board.

(d) No member of the Board shall participate in any action of the Board that involves himself or herself or any person engaged in oil and gas development in which he or she has a financial interest.

(e) Each prospective appointee or member of the Board shall have the affirmative duty to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest to the other members of the Board. (Added 1981, No. 240 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 28, 1982.)