(1) The board shall be composed of grower members who (a) are citizens of Nebraska, (b) are at least twenty-one years of age, and (c) derive a portion of their income from growing grain sorghum. The Director of Agriculture and the vice chancellor of the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources shall be ex officio members of the board but shall have no vote in board matters.

(2) Except as provided in section 2-4006 or 2-4007, the members shall be appointed as follows:

(a) One member shall be appointed by the Governor from each of the following districts:

(i) District 1: The counties of Cedar, Dixon, Dakota, Wayne, Thurston, Stanton, Cuming, Burt, Colfax, Dodge, Washington, Douglas, Butler, Saunders, Sarpy, Seward, Saline, Lancaster, Cass, Otoe, Jefferson, Gage, Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, and Richardson;

(ii) District 2: The counties of Knox, Antelope, Pierce, Madison, Boone, Platte, Nance, Merrick, Polk, Hamilton, York, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Webster, Nuckolls, and Thayer;

(iii) District 3: The counties of Keya Paha, Boyd, Brown, Rock, Holt, Blaine, Loup, Garfield, Wheeler, Custer, Valley, Greeley, Sherman, Howard, Dawson, Buffalo, Hall, Gosper, Phelps, Kearney, Furnas, Harlan, and Franklin; and

(iv) District 4: The counties of Sioux, Dawes, Box Butte, Sheridan, Cherry, Scotts Bluff, Banner, Kimball, Morrill, Cheyenne, Garden, Deuel, Grant, Hooker, Thomas, Arthur, McPherson, Logan, Keith, Perkins, Lincoln, Chase, Hayes, Frontier, Dundy, Hitchcock, and Red Willow; and

(b) Three members shall be appointed from the state at large, two of whom shall be appointed by the Governor and one appointed by the board. When making at-large appointments, the Governor and the board shall, to the extent practicable, seek to achieve an equitable representation of grain sorghum producers in terms of the geographic distribution of grain sorghum production in the state. No more than two at-large members may reside in a single district as defined by subdivision (a) of this subsection.

(3) The board shall elect from its members a chairperson, treasurer, and such other officers as may be necessary. Except as provided in section 2-4006, the term of office for members of the board shall be three years and until their successors are appointed and qualified.

(4) Whenever a vacancy occurs on the board for any reason, the remaining board members shall appoint an individual to fill such vacancy from the district in which the vacancy exists. If the vacant position is that of an at-large member, the appointment to fill such vacancy shall be made at large subject to subdivision (2)(b) of this section.