A. The commission for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons shall appoint an executive director, who shall be the administrative officer of the commission. A preference will be given to applicants for the executive director position who are deaf or hard of hearing.
B. The executive director shall employ such assistants and employees as are necessary for the efficient operation of the commission for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. There shall be a minimum of five full-time staff members. The executive director shall not be subject to the Personnel Act [Chapter 10, Article 9 NMSA 1978]. All other staff members shall be subject to the Personnel Act.