source/committers/becomingapmcmember.md

---
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 (board@apache.org). 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)