As we close out 2025, it’s time for our annual membership renewal cycle and board elections. This post covers everything you need to know about maintaining your membership, participating in our elections, and what to expect from board engagement in 2026.
Membership Renewals Are Open
Dronecode memberships automatically renew on January 1, 2026. If you haven’t already received your renewal notice, you should expect it soon. Per our bylaws, members receive renewal notifications 120 days and 90 days before December 31. The deadline for giving notice of non-renewal is November 30, 2025.
Important details:
- Members who wish not to renew must provide written notice to avoid payment reminders
- All Financial Obligations must be current to maintain good standing and participate in board elections
If you have questions about your membership status or renewal, contact us at operations@dronecode.org.
2026 Board Elections
We’re kicking off our annual board election process to seat directors for 2026. The newly elected board will hold its first meeting at the Linux Foundation Member Summit in Napa, California, on February 23, 2026.
Who Gets to Vote?
Gold Members (voting as a class): There are currently no Gold Members
Silver Members (voting as a class): Under the Bylaws, the current number of Silver Memebrs are currently entitled to elect three Directors.
Platinum Members: Each Platinum member directly appoints one director to the board
Important eligibility requirements:
- Only members in good standing can nominate and vote
- Nominees must be employees of the nominating member organization
- Related Companies that are each Members can vote in elections, but any group of Related Companies may only be represented on the Board by a single Director. Where a member of a group of Related Companies is already represented on the Board, their Related Companies cannot nominate their own candidates
Election Timeline
December 8-20: Nomination Period
- Silver members submit nominee information
- Nominees must be employees of the nominating organization
December 23 – January 3: Holiday Break
- No election activity
January 6-17: Voting Period
- 10 business days for Silver members to cast votes
- Nominees may share qualifications with voters upon request
- Voting conducted via secure online platform
January 20-24: Results & Appeals
- Vote counting and result announcement
- Window for any challenges or appeals
January 27-31: Board Finalization
- Finalize board roster
- Notify Linux Foundation of new composition
February 23-25: First Board Meeting
- Newly elected board convenes at Linux Foundation Member Summit in Napa, California
How to Participate
We’ll be using simple online tools to make participation easy:
- Nominations: Google Forms for submitting nominee information
- Voting: OpaVote for secure, auditable electronic voting
Details and links will be provided in follow-up communications to eligible members.
What Happens at Board Meetings?
Dronecode board meetings are where strategic decisions get made. If you’re considering running for a board seat or just curious about what board service entails, here’s what typically happens:
Strategic Direction
- Roadmap planning for supporting Open Source Project communities
- Resource allocation across projects
- New project proposals and incubation decisions
- Long-term technology strategy discussions
Community and Ecosystem
- Developer community growth and engagement strategies
- Educational initiatives and documentation efforts
- Conference and event planning (PX4 Developer Summit, ROSCon, Open Source Summit)
- Academic and research partnerships
Standards and Collaboration
- Pixhawk hardware standards evolution
- MAVLink protocol development coordination
- Integration with ROS and adjacent ecosystems
- Cross-project alignment
Operational Matters
- Budget review and financial planning
- Membership applications and renewals
- Intellectual property and licensing discussions
- Linux Foundation coordination
Industry Engagement
- Coordination with member companies and sponsors
- Semiconductor partner relationships
- Regulatory and safety standards engagement
- Market trends and competitive landscape
Board members bring perspectives from industry, academia, and the open source community. Meetings are focused, practical, and driven by what’s best for the ecosystem.
2026 Board Meeting Schedule
The board will meet quarterly in 2026, with a mix of virtual and in-person opportunities:
Q1 2026
February 23, 2026 – Napa, California
In-person at Linux Foundation Member Summit
First meeting of the newly elected board
Q2 2026
Late May 2026 – Virtual Meeting
Proposed: May 27-29
Q3 2026
Late August 2026 – Virtual Meeting
Proposed: August 25-27
Q4 2026
October 6-8, 2026 – Prague, Czech Republic
In-person at Open Source Summit Europe
Estimated dates based on current event planning
In-person meetings offer valuable opportunities for deeper collaboration, relationship-building, and strategic planning. Virtual meetings keep us connected and moving forward between major events.
Why This Matters
Dronecode’s governance ensures that our projects remain community-driven, vendor-neutral, and focused on advancing open source drone and robotics technology. Board elections give our members direct influence over the foundation’s direction.
Whether you’re a Platinum member appointing your representative, a Gold or Silver member voting for directors, or someone considering membership to gain voting rights, your participation shapes the future of the ecosystem.
Questions?
If you have questions about membership renewals, election procedures, or board participation:
- Review the full Dronecode Bylaws
- Contact us at info@dronecode.org
- Join our community discussions on chat.dronecode.org
We’re looking forward to a strong 2026 with your continued participation and leadership.
