Section 28. There shall be an executive committee which shall be composed of a chairman, who shall be the president of the council, a vice-chairman, who shall be the vice-president of the council, a secretary, who shall be the secretary of the council, and a treasurer, who shall be the treasurer of the council. In addition, five members shall be elected from the representatives of cities; provided, that one such member elected shall be the representative of the city of Boston; five members shall be elected from representatives of the towns; five members shall be elected from the persons appointed by the governor; five members shall be elected from the ex officiis members. In addition, the immediate past president, if a council member, shall serve on the executive committee with full voting rights. Each member of the committee shall serve for a term of one year or until a successor has been duly qualified, except for the immediate past president, who shall serve so long as he remains the immediate past president and a member of the council.

Action taken by the executive committee shall be in the name of and in behalf of the council. The executive committee shall engage, and may remove, an executive director, who shall be specially qualified by education, training and experience in the fields of regional planning and community relations, and shall determine his salary, and shall approve the selection and compensation of a technically qualified staff to discharge the professional duties of the council. The executive committee shall be responsible for the supervision of the executive director and for the preparation of an annual budget, to be submitted to the council for its consideration, for the disbursements of council funds, and for the performance of such other duties as may be assigned by the council. The members of the executive committee shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses, including travel, incurred in the performance of their duties. The executive director shall be responsible to the executive committee and shall act for said committee at its direction. The executive director shall not be subject to chapter thirty-one nor to section nine A of chapter thirty.

The executive director, with the approval of the executive committee, shall appoint, and may remove, as members of the staff, such officers and employees as the work of the council may require, who shall not be subject to chapter thirty-one nor to section nine A of chapter thirty.

The executive director, with the approval of the executive committee, may hire temporary or part-time experts or consultants who shall not be subject to the provisions of chapters thirty-one and thirty-two.

The executive committee shall establish such technical advisory committees as may be needed to assist the executive director in exploring, planning and developing the programs and projects of the council. The chairman, commissioner or head of any state, county or municipal body or public authority operating within the district, if permitted by its trust indentures so to do, shall delegate one or more well qualified representatives from his agency to serve on any of said technical advisory committees when so requested by the executive committee.