11—1.3 (8A) Director. The chief executive officer of the department is the director, who is appointed by the governor with the approval of two-thirds of the members of the senate. The director serves at the pleasure of the governor.
The director has the statutory authority to designate an employee of the department to carry out the powers and duties of the director in the absence of the director, or due to the inability of the director to do so.
Specific powers and duties of the department, its director, boards, task forces, advisory panels, and employees are set forth in Iowa Code chapters 8A, 19B, 20, 70A, and 509A and these administrative rules.