(a)        The Advisory Board to the North Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology is hereby established. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to assist in the advancement and administration of the Applied Textile Technology Center.

(b)        The Advisory Board shall consist of 14 members as follows:

(1)        The President of Gaston College, who shall serve ex officio.

(2)        Two members who are residents of North Carolina appointed by the National Council of Textile Organizations.

(2a)      Two members appointed by the Southern Textile Association, Inc.

(3)        Two members appointed by the board of the North Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology Foundation.

(4)        Two members appointed by the board of trustees of Gaston College.

(5)        Three members appointed by the State Board of Community Colleges.

(6)        One member appointed by the dean of the College of Textiles at North Carolina State University.

(7)        The Director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center at Catawba Valley Community College who shall serve ex officio as a nonvoting member.

The appointing entities shall attempt to appoint members who are distributed geographically throughout the State; members representing large and small companies; and members from each segment of the diverse textile industry including spun yarn manufacturing, filament yarn manufacturing, knitting, weaving, dyeing and finishing, apparel, nonwoven, technical/medical textiles, and fiber producers.

(c)        In order for the terms of members to be staggered, one initial member appointed by the North Carolina Manufacturers Association, Inc., one member appointed by the North Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology Foundation, one member appointed by the board of trustees of Gaston College, and two members appointed by the State Board of Community Colleges shall serve for two-year terms. The remainder of the initial appointees shall serve for four-year terms. Subsequent terms shall be for four years. Initial terms shall begin July 1, 2005.

Members may serve for no more than two consecutive four-year terms. Members appointed to an initial term of two years and members appointed to fill a vacancy may serve two consecutive four-year terms after the expiration of their term of less than four years.

All vacancies occurring on the board shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the appointing authority making the original appointment.

Members shall receive per diem, travel, and subsistence allowances in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 138-5 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 138-6, as appropriate.

(d)       The Advisory Board is a public body as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-318.10(b) and is subject to all provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-318.9 through N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-318.18 ?(2005-103, s. 3; 2010-31, s. 8.8(a); 2013-410, s. 36(a).)