For terms subsequent to the term of the initial committee, members and their respective alternates shall be selected and appointed in accordance with the following procedure: The director shall divide the proration zone into as many districts as may be necessary for the proper administration of the program, and allot to each district the proper number of producers to be appointed to serve as members and alternate members upon a marketing program committee so as to give as nearly as possible adequate representation to all producers in all such districts. Members and their respective alternate members shall be appointed by the director from lists of producers that are eligible to serve on the marketing program committee. In addition, the director may appoint one public member on each such marketing program committee.
Upon the director’s request, the committee shall submit to the director the names of three or more natural persons, each of whom shall be a citizen and resident of this state and not a producer, shipper, or processor nor financially interested in any producer, shipper, or processor, for appointment by the director as a public member of the committee. The director may appoint one of the nominees as the public member on the committee. If all nominees are unsatisfactory to the director, the committee shall continue to submit lists of nominees until the director has made a selection. Any vacancy in the office of the public member of the committee shall be filled by appointment by the director from the nominee or nominees similarly qualified submitted by the committee. The public member of the committee shall represent the interests of the general public in all matters coming before the committee and shall have the same voting and other rights and immunities as other members of the committee.