Each area planning and development commission in existence as of June 30, 1989, shall automatically be succeeded by the regional development center for the same region as of July 1, 1989, and each such regional development center shall be governed, from and after July 1, 1989, by this article. All contractual obligations, obligations to employees, other duties, rights, and benefits of such area planning and development commissions shall automatically become duties, obligations, rights, and benefits of their respective successor regional development centers.