(1) The Washington soldiers home and colony, the Washington veterans home, and the eastern Washington veterans home shall have, respectively, a chief executive officer to be called a superintendent. The superintendent shall be directly responsible to the director or designee, of the department of veterans affairs, and as such shall be an honorably discharged veteran.

(2) The superintendent shall be a licensed nursing home administrator in the state of Washington. In situations where a candidate is identified who is an honorably discharged veteran but not yet a licensed nursing home administrator in the state of Washington, the director may appoint the candidate to the position of superintendent-in-training, providing time for the candidate to complete an administrator-in-training program, approved by the Washington state department of health, and pass the nursing home administrators licensing examination. The candidate is eligible for appointment to the position of superintendent once he or she becomes a licensed nursing home administrator. The director will ensure that the facility is directed by an interim on-site, full-time superintendent who is a licensed nursing home administrator and who may or may not be a veteran, while the candidate is in training, or whenever a suitable candidate is not available.