1. Appointment. The Governor shall appoint, using a full and competitive search process and after giving proper consideration to the qualifications in subsection 3, a full-time Maine Technology Institute Director, referred to in this section as the “director,” subject to review by the joint standing committee or joint select committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over research and development matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, who serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The director shall report to the commissioner in the execution of the director’s responsibilities.

2. Duties. The director serves as the president of the Maine Technology Institute upon confirmation by the institute’s board of directors. The director shall oversee activities of the institute and has the duties and responsibilities provided in chapter 407.

3. Qualifications. The director must have demonstrated experience in the management of organizations that innovate, commercialize and deploy technology and expertise in integrating technology commercialization and deployment with economic development.