Fedora thrives on evolution, change, and innovation—not just in our open source technology, but also in how we nurture the community that builds it. As Fedora adapts to a shifting world, the roles that sustain it must evolve too. That includes the Fedora Community Architect position. Today, Justin and Shaun are excited to announce a strategic transition in Red Hat’s support for Fedora’s community operations.
Effective immediately, we’re entering a transition period for the Fedora Community Architect (FCA) role. To uphold our commitments to both Fedora and CentOS, the Red Hat Open Source & AI Program Office is splitting the current, broad FCA responsibilities into two focused, distinct roles.
The Transition
Justin and Shaun will collaborate during a transitional phase from now until the release of Fedora Linux 45, currently slated for October 2026. During this time, we’ll shift our focuses to ensure a seamless handoff of key community operations—including event logistics, budget management, and representation on the Fedora Council and CentOS board.
Shaun McCance will step into the Fedora Community Architect role. Many of you already know Shaun as a longstanding community member, bringing deep experience and context from GNOME, a major Fedora upstream project. He also brings significant expertise in community event execution, budget oversight, and his current work as CentOS Community Architect. Shaun will take over the permanent FCA seat on the Fedora Council and Fedora Mindshare Committee, chair the Code of Conduct Committee, lead annual planning for the Flock to Fedora conference, and continue the financial stewardship of our project resources.
Meanwhile, Justin Wheeler will transition into a new position: AI Alignment Community Architect. This role provides dedicated focus to align Fedora’s existing and future AI adoption with our community values and norms. It allows more time and attention for him to participate in Fedora community discussions exploring a future with AI builder downstreams, formalize community AI services, mentor contributors, and ensure that major AI-related initiatives in the default Fedora Linux experience align with Fedora’s Four Foundations: Freedom, Friends, Features, First.
What Stays the Same
While our day-to-day focuses are shifting, our shared commitment to Fedora and CentOS remains the biggest constant. Both of us will stay deeply involved in our current communities through our work at Red Hat, and we’re dedicated to ensuring this transition maintains the health and momentum of our ongoing community efforts.
This move marks a strategic expansion of Red Hat’s investment in Fedora, not a departure. We’re excited about this next chapter and the ability to dedicate more specific focus to both our foundational community operations and our emerging technical horizons.
We look forward to continuing this work with all of you through the Fedora Linux 45 release cycle and beyond. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this transition.
