Sec. 7. An operator or a worker may not be a person who has been convicted of or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a felony committed in the preceding ten (10) years, regardless of the adjudication, unless the commission determines that:
(1) the person has been pardoned or the person's civil rights have been restored; or
(2) after the conviction or entry of the plea, the person has engaged in the kind of good citizenship that would reflect well upon the integrity of the qualified organization and the commission.