(a)
Except as provided in subdivision (d), directors shall be elected for such terms, not longer than four years, as are fixed in the articles or bylaws. In the absence of any provision in the articles or bylaws, the terms shall be one year. No amendment of the articles or bylaws may extend the term of a director beyond that for which the director was elected, nor may any bylaw provision increasing the terms of directors be adopted without approval of the members.
(b)
Unless the articles or bylaws otherwise provide, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy, shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected and until a successor has been elected and qualified, unless the director has
been removed from office.
(c)
The articles or bylaws may prescribe requirements for eligibility for election as a director.
(d)
For the purposes of this subdivision, “designator” means one or more designators. Subdivisions (a) through (c) notwithstanding, all or any portion of the directors authorized in the articles or bylaws of a corporation may hold office by virtue of designation or selection by a specified designator as provided by the articles or bylaws rather than by election. Such directors shall continue in office for the term prescribed by the governing article or bylaw provision, or, if there is no term prescribed, until the governing article or bylaw provision is duly amended or repealed, except as provided in subdivision (f) of Section 12362. A bylaw provision authorized by this subdivision may be adopted, amended, or repealed only by approval of the members (Section
12224), except as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 12330. Unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, the entitlement to designate or select a director or directors shall cease if any of the following circumstances exist:
(1)
The specified designator of that director or directors has died or ceased to exist.
(2)
If the entitlement of the specified designator of that director or directors to designate is in the capacity of an officer, trustee, or other status and the office, trust, or status has ceased to exist.
(e)
If a corporation has not issued memberships and (1) all the directors resign, die, or
become incompetent, or (2) a corporation’s initial directors have not been named in the articles and all incorporators resign, die, or become incompetent before the election of the initial directors, the superior court of any county may appoint directors of the corporation upon application by any party in interest.