(1)(a) The authority shall be composed of 22 members. The Commissioner of Agriculture, or her or his designee, shall serve as a voting member. There shall also be a member who is the member of the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County representing the county commission district in which the Florida State Fairgrounds is located, who shall serve as a voting member. There shall also be an appointed youth member who is an active member of the Florida Future Farmers of America or a 4-H Club, who shall serve as a nonvoting member. The Commissioner of Agriculture shall appoint each other member of the authority. Each member appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture shall serve at the pleasure of the Commissioner of Agriculture. The term of each member appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture shall be 4 years, but the term of the nonvoting youth member shall be for 1 year. Members may be appointed for more than one term. Any vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term pursuant to the method provided in this section for appointment. Six of the members may be from Hillsborough County. The Commissioner of Agriculture shall appoint and set the compensation of an executive director. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the Commissioner of Agriculture.
(b) Members of the authority may be persons who are or have been directors or officers of a fair association or who have otherwise actively participated in conducting a public fair, festival, show, exposition, or similar activity. Holding a commission as a member of another board or authority does not render a person ineligible to serve as a member of the fair authority so long as the common-law rule of incompatibility does not prohibit holding both commissions.
(2) The authority shall meet at the call of its chair, at the request of a majority of its membership, at the request of the Commissioner of Agriculture, or at such times as may be prescribed by its rules.
(3) Members of the authority are not entitled to compensation for their services as members but shall be reimbursed by the authority for per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. Except for the nonvoting youth member, each member may be compensated for any special or full-time service performed in the authority’s behalf as officers or agents of the authority. 