The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has announced the promotion of longtime employees Danielle Aguirre and Charlotte Sellmyer.
Now, Aguirre’s title is Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), and she will continue to helm legal and business affairs for the Washington D.C.-based organization. Sellmyer’s new title is executive vp, external affairs to reflect her leadership in the firm’s public relations, events, songwriter advocacy, and Gold and Platinum Program efforts. She will also continue to lead external activities for NMPA.
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According to David Israelite, NMPA’s president and CEO, the promotions “reflect the outstanding contributions Danielle and Charlotte have made to the industry. NMPA has one mission – to protect and increase the value of songs. Danielle and Charlotte are key players in that mission, and their contributions are invaluable.”
Aguirre’s journey at the NMPA began fifteen years ago, and since then, she has become instrumental in shaping the future of U.S. music publishing. She has represented publishers during several Copyright Royalty Board proceedings, which set the U.S. mechanical royalty rate for songwriters and publishers for five-year terms. She also played a key role in shaping the Music Modernization Act, arguably the most impactful music legislation of the 21st century, and subsequently, helped develop the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). (Today, she still holds a seat on the board as its statutorily designated non-voting publisher representative).
For her work on the passage of the MMA, Aguirre was selected as Billboard Women in Music’s Co-Executive of the Year, alongside the other women who shaped the landmark legislation. Along with her work at the NMPA, Aguirre serves as a member of the Recording Academy and the Country Music Association.
Sellmyer has worked for the NMPA for the past eleven years, and during that time, she has elevated the visibility of publishers’ and songwriters’ issues to the general public. Along with her work as its press liaison, she also organizes the NMPA’s events, its social media posts, and its Gold & Platinum program, which is designed to recognize songwriters who work on gold and platinum-certified songs. Since she joined, Sellmyer has been instrumental in the MMA’s passage, the creation of the MLC and multiple CRB proceedings.
On top of her work at the NMPA, Sellmyer is also a member of the Recording Academy and the Country Music Association.
