(a) For the initial Board, nominations shall be made and submitted to the Secretary by manufacturers. The Secretary shall consider the nominations submitted and other manufacturers for appointment, as the Secretary may deem appropriate. The Secretary shall appoint the members and alternate members of the initial Board.

(b) From the nominations, the Secretary shall appoint the 15-25 members of the Board and 6 alternate members of the Board within a reasonable time after receiving nominations. If a voting member vacates the appointment, the Secretary will appoint one of the alternate members to fill the unexpired term. The Secretary will provide the Board an opportunity to offer a nominee as successor to fill the term of the alternate member. In any case in which the Board fails to submit nominations for any open position, the Secretary shall appoint a member qualifying for the position under the criteria set forth in § 1500.40.

(c) As terms expire or vacancies occur among members and alternate members, nominations and those interested in being considered for Board membership, including self-nominations, may submit such nominations to the Board. For each expired or vacant position, the Board will evaluate the nominations received, verify the willingness of nominees to serve, and then will submit to the Secretary at least three nominees for each such position. The Secretary may also receive nominations and may forward them to the Board for their consideration. The Secretary is not bound by the recommendations of the Board; in selecting members, the Secretary will consider the recommendations of the Board, individual expertise, distribution of appointments, and more expansive input from sources available to the Secretary. For the initial Board, from the list of nominees not selected for appointment, the Secretary will choose and appoint six alternate members for the Board. Alternate members will be non-voting members of the Board.