Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, employees of the Fund are not in the State Personnel Management System. A skilled service employee of the Fund hired before July 1, 2013, in a nonprofessional or nontechnical position shall remain in the skilled service in the State Personnel Management System or its equivalent as long as the employee remains in a nonprofessional or nontechnical position with the Fund. The Executive Director shall appoint and remove employees of the Fund in accordance with the policies of the Board of Trustees. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Executive Director may appoint claims adjusters, attorneys, and other necessary personnel directly as employees or on a contract basis. The Executive Director shall determine and administer the compensation of the employees of the Fund with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, an employee of the Fund is not subject to any law, regulation, or executive order governing State employee compensation, including furloughs, salary reductions, and any other General Fund cost–saving measure.