Colorado agricultural development authority - creation - membership

(1) There is hereby created an independent public body politic and corporate to be known as the Colorado agricultural development authority. Said authority is constituted a public instrumentality, and its exercise of the powers conferred by this article shall be deemed and held to be the performance of an essential public function. The authority shall be a body corporate and a political subdivision of the state and shall not be an agency of state government and shall not be subject to administrative direction by any department, commission, board, or agency of the state. (2) (a) The governing body of the authority is a board of directors, which consists of seven members, who are appointed as follows: (I) One shall be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the senate; (II) Three shall be appointed by the president of the senate; and (III) Three shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. (b) Such members must be residents of the state, must have a knowledge of agricultural activity in the state, and must represent the various agriculture operations and geographical regions of the state. No more than four of the appointed members may be affiliated with the same political party. (c) Members shall be appointed for a term of four years; except that the terms shall be staggered so that no more than four members' terms expire in the same year. Each member shall serve until the member's successor has been appointed. Any member shall be eligible for reappointment. The person making the original appointment shall fill any vacancy by appointment for the remainder of an unexpired term. (d) The commissioner of agriculture shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the board. (e) Any appointed member of the board may be removed by the person making the appointment for misfeasance, malfeasance, willful neglect of duty, or other cause.