(a) The powers, rights, privileges, functions and duties of the Authority shall continue to be vested in seven Commissioners, not more than two of whom, excluding the Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and the Commissioner of Human Services, shall be at any time salaried officials or employees of the Government of the United States Virgin Islands or of the United States; Provided, That persons drawing retirement pay or pensions only from such Governments shall not be considered to be salaried officials. Two of the Commissioners shall be tenants of public rental housing projects under the jurisdiction of the Authority, one of whom shall be a resident of the district of St. Croix, and the other shall be a resident of the district of St. Thomas/St. John. The four tenant commissioners shall be selected pursuant to subsection (b) of this section two each from public rental housing projects in the district of St. Croix and the district of St. Thomas/St. John, respectively, which tenants shall be democratically chosen by the residents, of legal age, of those housing projects in a manner determined by the Authority.
(b) The commissioners (except the Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and the Commissioner of Human Services who shall be ex officio voting members) shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Legislature. The term of office shall be for three years and the terms of non-tenant Commissioners shall be so staggered that the term of at least one of those Commissioners shall expire on January 1, of each year. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. A commissioner shall hold office until his successor has been qualified, unless sooner removed as provided in subsection (d) of this section. A certificate of the appointment or reappointment of any commissioner shall be filed with the Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands and such certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the due and proper appointment of such commissioner.
(c) Before taking office, or entering on duty, each commissioner, as well as each employee of the Authority, shall take the oath of office and execute the loyalty statement required of all officers and employees of the Government of the United States Virgin Islands.
(d) Any commissioner may be removed by the Governor for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office, after a hearing before the Governor or a hearing officer specially designated by him for the purpose.
(e) A commissioner shall receive no compensation for his services but shall be entitled to payments of official travel costs, and reimbursement of expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the discharge of his duties and functions, under such regulations as are applicable to other employees of the Government of the United States Virgin Islands.
(f) Each member, including the Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, shall successfully complete a nationally recognized training course as provided by regulations promulgated by the authority pursuant to section 35(5); except that the training mandated by this subsection must be designed to develop, augment and enhance skills needed for carrying out the duties of commissioners prescribed by law.