There is hereby established within and as a part of the department of health and environment a division of environment, the head of which shall be the director of the division of environment. Under the supervision of the secretary of health and environment, the director of the division of environment shall administer the division of environment. The director shall have experience and educational training in the field of environment. The secretary of health and environment shall appoint the director of the division of environment who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary. The director shall be in the unclassified service and shall receive an annual salary fixed by the secretary and approved by the state finance council. If a director was an employee of the state of Kansas in a regular classified position under the Kansas civil service act at the time of selection as director, such person, upon the conclusion of service as director, shall be returned to the regular classified position under the Kansas civil service act such person held at the time of appointment as director, and if such position be filled at that time, a temporary additional position shall be created for such person until such time as a vacancy exists in such position. While serving in such temporary additional position the former director shall continue to be a contributing member of the retirement system under which such person was covered while serving as director.