The Authority shall be governed by a board of directors consisting of 17 members appointed as follows: (i) two presidents of the major research public institutions of higher education, and one president representing the other public institutions of higher education, appointed by the Governor; (ii) three nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor; (iii) eight nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the General Assembly as follows: four nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Speaker of the House from a list recommended by the House Committee on Science and Technology and the Joint Commission on Technology and Science and four nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules from a list recommended by the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology and the Joint Commission on Technology and Science; and (iv) the Secretary of Technology, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, and the Secretary of Education, who shall serve ex officio with full voting privileges.

One nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Governor, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Speaker of the House, and one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules shall each have experience as a founding member of a technology company based upon intellectual property that has secured private investment capital. One nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Governor, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Speaker of the House, and one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules shall each have experience as an institutional venture capital investment partner. One nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Governor, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Speaker of the House, and one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules shall each have experience as a senior executive in a technology or scientific research and development company with annual revenues in excess of $5 million. One nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Governor, one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Speaker of the House and one nonlegislative citizen member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules shall be from rural areas of the Commonwealth.

The Secretary of Technology, Secretary of Commerce and Trade, and Secretary of Education shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. After the initial staggering of terms, nonlegislative citizen members and presidents shall be appointed for terms of two years. Vacancies in the membership of the Board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments for the unexpired portion of the term. No nonlegislative citizen member or president shall be eligible to serve for more than three successive two-year terms; however, after the expiration of a term of one year, or after the expiration of the remainder of a term to which appointed to fill a vacancy, three additional terms may be served by such member if appointed thereto. Members of the Board shall be subject to removal from office in like manner as are state, county, town and district officers under the provisions of §§ 24.2-230 through 24.2-238. Immediately after appointment, the members of the Board shall enter upon the performance of their duties.

The Board shall annually elect from among its members a chairman and a vice-chairman. The Board shall also elect annually a secretary, who need not be a member of the Board, and may also elect such other subordinate officers who need not be members of the Board, as it deems proper. The chairman, or in his absence, the vice-chairman, shall preside at all meetings of the Board. In the absence of both the chairman and vice-chairman, the Board shall appoint a chairman pro tempore, who shall preside at such meetings. Nine members shall constitute a quorum of the Board.

The Board shall employ a President of the Authority, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board, to direct the day-to-day operations and activities of the Authority and carry out such of the powers and duties conferred upon him by the Board. The President and employees of the Authority shall be compensated in the manner provided by the Board and shall not be subject to the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.).

1984, c. 782, § 9-253; 1993, c. 967; 1999, cc. 412, 421, 433; 2001, c. 844; 2005, c. 439; 2008, cc. 299, 611; 2009, cc. 325, 810; 2011, cc. 816, 874; 2015, cc. 685, 687.