; (3) assign duties among officers and employees of the Commission, including Commissioners, so as to balance the workload and provide for orderly administration; (4) direct the preparation of requests for appropriations for the Commission, and the use of funds made available to the Commission; (5) designate 3 Commissioners to serve on the National Appeals Board, 1 whom shall be designated to serve as Vice Chairperson of the Commission (who shall act as Chairperson of the Commission in the absence or disability of the Chairperson or in the event of a vacancy in the position of Chairperson); (6) designate, for each region established under section 3632(a)(2), 1 Commissioner to serve as regional Commissioner in each such region, except that— (A) in each such designation the Chairperson shall consider years of service, personal preference, and fitness; and (B) no such designation shall take effect unless concurred in by the President; (7) serve as spokesperson for the Commission and report annually to each House of Congress on the activities of the Commission; and (8) exercise such other powers and duties and perform such other functions as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter or as may be provided under any other provision of law. (b) Other authorities The Chairperson shall have the power to— (1) without regard to subsections (a) and (b) of section 3324 of title 31, enter into and perform such contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, and other transactions as may be necessary in the conduct of the functions of the Commission with any public agency or with any person, firm, association, corporation, educational institution, or nonprofit organization; (2) accept voluntary and uncompensated services, notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31; (3) procure for the Commission temporary and intermittent services to the same extent as is authorized by section 3109(b) of title 5