The seven members of the Transportation Board are appointed to three-year terms by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate and within statutory requirements for party affiliation and restrictions pertaining to conflicts of interest. The governor must, so far as is possible, appoint members "whose interests and expertise lie in various areas of the transportation field" (Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 19, §3). The board provides appellate review of various VTrans decisions and rulings, has original jurisdiction over certain claims and conducts public hearings. The secretary of transportation is appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and serves at the pleasure of the governor (Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 19, §7).