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new 82abff36 Adds a new "becoming a PMC member" document, based on advice
that I give people that I'm mentoring.
82abff36 is described below
commit 82abff362f059de16d695ef4dcb3c98a0dda7cea
Author: Rich Bowen <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Tue Jun 9 11:35:42 2026 -0400
Adds a new "becoming a PMC member" document, based on advice that I give
people that I'm mentoring.
---
source/committers/becomingapmcmember.md | 184 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
source/contributor-ladder.md | 3 +
source/contributors/becomingacommitter.md | 3 +-
source/pmc/_index.md | 5 +
4 files changed, 194 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/source/committers/becomingapmcmember.md
b/source/committers/becomingapmcmember.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50bd0c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/committers/becomingapmcmember.md
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+---
+title: Becoming a PMC Member
+tags: ["pmc","committers","governance","contributor-ladder"]
+---
+
+So you've become a committer on an ASF project. Congratulations! Now
+what?
+
+Becoming a PMC member is the next step on the [contributor
+ladder](/contributor-ladder.html). This document describes what PMCs
+generally look for when considering a committer for PMC membership, and
+how you can position yourself for that invitation.
+
+As with [becoming a committer](becomingacommitter.html), there are no
+guarantees. Each project sets its own bar, and the decision is made by
+the existing PMC members. But the behaviors described here are
+consistently valued across ASF projects.
+
+{{% toc %}}
+
+## What is a PMC member?
+
+A Project Management Committee (PMC) member is someone entrusted with
+the governance and oversight of an Apache project. PMC members:
+
+- Have **binding votes** on project releases and technical decisions
+- **Nominate and vote on** new committers and PMC members according to the
[ASF voting process](https://www.apache.org/foundation/voting.html)
+- Provide **oversight** of the project on behalf of the ASF and its [Board of
Directors](https://www.apache.org/foundation/board/)
+- Ensure the project follows ASF policies
([legal](https://www.apache.org/legal/),
[branding](https://www.apache.org/foundation/marks/),
[infrastructure](https://infra.apache.org/))
+- Report to the Board quarterly on the health of the project
+
+Being invited to the PMC is the project expressing trust that you will
+act as a responsible steward — someone who cares about the long-term
+health of the project and its community, not just their own contributions.
+
+## How is it different from being a committer?
+
+As a committer, your primary focus is on *making contributions* — code,
+documentation, reviews, and user support. As a PMC member, your focus
+broadens to *project governance*:
+
+- You shift from "What can I build?" to "What should we build, and is it
+ ready to ship?"
+- You take responsibility for the project's releases, ensuring they meet
+ ASF standards.
+- You actively look for contributors to mentor and eventually nominate.
+- You ensure the community operates transparently and welcomes newcomers.
+
+Many projects describe this as moving from *doing the work* to
+*stewarding the work*.
+
+## What PMCs look for
+
+While every project is different, the following qualities appear
+consistently across ASF projects when evaluating candidates for PMC
+membership:
+
+### Sustained, broad contribution
+
+PMC candidates have typically been active committers for a meaningful
+period of time. The form of contribution is not limited to code — it
+can include code review, user support, documentation, testing, release
+management, or community building.
+
+What matters is *breadth* and *consistency*. A PMC member should
+understand the project holistically, not just the corner they work in.
+
+### Project-wide perspective
+
+PMC members need to think beyond their own features or their employer's
+priorities. They should demonstrate:
+
+- Concern for the overall health and direction of the project
+- Interest in areas of the project outside their immediate work
+- Willingness to review and discuss changes they didn't author
+- Attention to the user community's needs, not just developer needs
+
+### Release process familiarity
+
+PMC members cast binding votes on releases. Before being nominated, you
+should have:
+
+- Verified release candidates and voted (non-binding is fine initially)
+- Understood the [ASF release
policy](https://www.apache.org/legal/release-policy.html)
+- Familiarized yourself with your project's release process and tooling
+
+Several projects (for example,
[Teaclave](https://teaclave.apache.org/becoming-a-member) and
[Celeborn](https://celeborn.apache.org/community/pmc/)) explicitly list
+familiarity with the ASF release process as a PMC competency requirement.
+
+### Community building and mentorship
+
+PMC members are expected to grow the community. This means:
+
+- Helping newer contributors find their way
+- Being active, courteous, and respectful on mailing lists and in reviews
+- Celebrating others' contributions
+- Actively looking for people who might become committers
+- Guiding discussions diplomatically, even in disagreement
+
+As the [APISIX
community](https://apisix.apache.org/docs/general/committer-guide/) puts it:
"We value the community more than the
+code. A strong and healthy community will be respectful and a fun and
+rewarding place."
+
+### Governance awareness
+
+PMC members should be familiar with how the ASF operates:
+
+- The [Apache Way](https://www.apache.org/theapacheway/)
+- How PMC decisions are made (consensus voting, lazy consensus, vetoes)
+- The role of the private@ mailing list (personnel matters and security
disclosures only — substantive discussion belongs on dev@)
+- The relationship between the PMC and the ASF Board
+- Branding, legal, and infrastructure requirements
+
+### Independence of judgment
+
+PMC members are expected to act as individuals, making decisions in the
+best interest of the project — not on behalf of their employer. The ASF
+Board has [stated
clearly](https://www.apache.org/foundation/governance/pmcs.html) that PMCs must
"operate independently of outside
+commercial influence."
+
+## The process
+
+The process for adding a PMC member is handled privately by the existing
+PMC, and varies slightly by project, but generally follows these steps:
+
+1. **Discussion** — A PMC member proposes the candidate on the private@
+ mailing list, citing specific contributions and behaviors.
+2. **Vote** — If discussion is positive, a formal [VOTE] thread is
+ opened. It runs for at least 72 hours (some projects use one week),
+ requiring at least [3 binding +1 votes and no
vetoes](https://www.apache.org/foundation/voting.html).
+3. **Board notification** — Unlike adding a committer, [new PMC members
+ require notification to the ASF Board ([email protected]). The Board
+ has 72 hours to raise
objections](https://community.apache.org/pmc/adding-pmc-members.html) (rare in
practice).
+4. **Invitation** — The candidate is invited privately and may accept or
+ decline.
+5. **Announcement** — Once accepted, the new PMC member is announced on
+ the project's dev@ list.
+
+You cannot nominate yourself. The existing PMC decides when a committer
+is ready for this responsibility.
+
+## What you can do now
+
+If you're a committer who aspires to PMC membership, here are concrete
+actions:
+
+- **Verify release candidates** — Download RCs, check signatures, run
+ tests, and vote on the dev@ list (mark your vote as non-binding). This
+ is the single best way to demonstrate release readiness.
+- **Review PRs beyond your area** — Show that you care about the whole
+ project, not just your slice of it.
+- **Participate in design discussions** — Contribute thoughtful opinions
+ on the project's direction, roadmap, and architecture.
+- **Mentor newcomers** — Help first-time contributors get their PRs
+ merged. Answer their questions patiently. Point them to documentation.
+- **Tend to project health** — Address old tickets, stale PRs, broken
+ CI, outdated docs. This is thankless work that signals ownership.
+- **Understand governance** — Read your project's bylaws. Read the
+ [ASF governance
documentation](https://www.apache.org/foundation/governance/).
+ Understand how decisions are made.
+- **Think long-term** — Ask yourself: "If I moved on tomorrow, would
+ this project be healthier because of my time here?" That's the
+ mindset of a PMC member.
+- Don't wait for an invitation. **Start showing ownership** today.
+
+## A note on timelines
+
+There is no fixed timeline. Some projects add committers to the PMC
+simultaneously (contributor → committer + PMC member). Others maintain a
+clear separation where committers prove themselves over months or years
+before being considered.
+
+Don't focus on the clock. Focus on demonstrating the qualities above.
+When it becomes obvious to the PMC that you belong, the invitation will
+come.
+
+## Further reading
+
+- [Contributor Ladder](/contributor-ladder.html)
+- [Becoming a Committer](becomingacommitter.html)
+- [ASF Governance:
PMCs](https://www.apache.org/foundation/governance/pmcs.html)
+- [PMC Guide](https://www.apache.org/dev/pmc.html)
+- [Adding PMC Members (process for existing
PMCs)](https://community.apache.org/pmc/adding-pmc-members.html)
+
diff --git a/source/contributor-ladder.md b/source/contributor-ladder.md
index 4f6af92a..c46f0705 100644
--- a/source/contributor-ladder.md
+++ b/source/contributor-ladder.md
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ as the addition of new committers and PMC members, and any
other
sensitive topics.
[See more information about being a PMC member](/pmc/).
+If you're a committer looking to grow into this role, see
+[becoming a PMC member](/committers/becomingapmcmember.html).
+
### Terminology: PMC and PMC Member
Note that the term _PMC_ refers to the _group_ that steers a project.
diff --git a/source/contributors/becomingacommitter.md
b/source/contributors/becomingacommitter.md
index 0f6b5a6a..9c040344 100644
--- a/source/contributors/becomingacommitter.md
+++ b/source/contributors/becomingacommitter.md
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ Community Over Code (formerly called ApacheCon) is the
obvious place to give the
# Once you’re a committer …
If and when you achieve your goal of becoming a committer, don’t consider your
journey done.
-Becoming a PMC member is a continuation of the same path. Continue to do all
of the above things, focusing more on the health of the project as a whole,
rather than just your personal interests, or those of your employer or manager.
+[Becoming a PMC member](/committers/becomingapmcmember.html) is a
+continuation of the same path. Continue to do all of the above things,
focusing more on the health of the project as a whole, rather than just your
personal interests, or those of your employer or manager.
Also, take an active interest in other contributors – both those on your team,
and those with other employers. Mentor them in following the same path that you
followed. Encourage them. Celebrate them, and mention them to other
contributors. This is an investment in the future of the project, so that, some
day, when you move on to something else, the project will live on.
diff --git a/source/pmc/_index.md b/source/pmc/_index.md
index 0eaea538..ef1ff8fa 100644
--- a/source/pmc/_index.md
+++ b/source/pmc/_index.md
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ The PMC members identify project participants whom they want
to be
members of the PMC. [Read more about the process of adding new PMC
members](/pmc/adding-pmc-members.html).
+## Becoming a PMC member
+
+If you're a committer wondering what it takes to be invited to the PMC,
+see [becoming a PMC member](/committers/becomingapmcmember.html).
+
## What to do as a new PMC member
If you've just joined the PMC as a new member, there's a number of
