The 19 members of the Board of Transportation are appointed to staggered four-year terms by the governor. Fourteen members represent the state's highway divisions. Five at-large members must meet statutory requirements for knowledge and expertise. One must have knowledge of environmental issues; one of ports and aviation; one of government-related finance and accounting; one must reside in a rural area and have knowledge of rural transportation issues; and one must reside in an urban area and have knowledge of transit issues. The governor may remove a member for any cause the governor finds sufficient, and must remove a member for certain convictions or violations (N.C. Gen. Stat. §143B- 350). The secretary of transportation is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the governor (N.C. Gen. Stat. §143B-9).