About RIAA

Mitch Glazier is Chairman & CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, leading the recorded music industry’s US advocacy and policy operations in Washington, DC. In over 25 years of service to the music industry, Glazier has helped conceive and build the legal and policy foundation for digital streaming and worked to unite the music community in the face of major policy challenges, from Napster to COVID to generative AI. A widely respected and trusted expert on copyright law and policymaking, Glazier regularly testifies in state and federal proceedings and is a sought-after voice on music issues in the press. He also oversees RIAA’s highly admired litigation and content protection operations and represents US recorded music interests worldwide. Before joining RIAA, Glazier served as Chief Counsel for Intellectual Property to the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives under Chairman Henry Hyde, served as law clerk to the Honorable Wayne Andersen, faaf United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, and practiced law at the Chicago firm Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg as an associate in commercial litigation. He graduated from Northwestern University and Vanderbilt Law School. Glazier regularly appears on Billboard’s Power 100 list and has received a range of accolades including the NMPA President’s Award, the AIMP Award in Support of Songwriters and Publishers, and the US Chamber’s IP Champion award. He serves as Chairman Emeritus on the Board of Musicians on Call, the charity that brings the healing power of music to the bedsides of patients in hospitals and health care facilities around the country, on the Boards of SoundExchange, IFPI, and Leadership Music, and on the Advisory Committees of Vanderbilt Law School and the annual Vanderbilt Music Law Summit. An Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Steinhardt School, Glazier has also guest lectured at Harvard Business School, The Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, and The Curb School at Belmont University, and delivers a signature “Everything You Needed to Know About Music Policy in One Hour” at Mondo NYC each year.

Michele Ballantyne is President & Chief Operating Officer of the Recording Industry Association of America, responsible for setting the Association’s strategic agenda and overseeing daily operations and execution of its mission. With over 20 years at RIAA including prior stints as leading Federal Government Relations, and Public Policy and Industry Relations, Ballantyne’s vision and expertise touch every aspect of the Association’s mission and activities over the last 20 years. In her current role, she partners with CEO Mitch Glazier to set RIAA’s long term strategic priorities and then oversees frontline operations and execution in support of those goals, breaking down silos and coordinating activities across departments and teams. Ballantyne successfully led RIAA operations and staff through the COVID pandemic and was the driving force behind the launch of RIAA’s studio-quality performance space that connects policymakers and live music in the heart of downtown Washington and has established RIAA Honors as one of the top advocacy celebration events on the DC calendar. In her role, Ballantyne helps to highlight commercial and creative successes that drive the culture forward and forge profound connections with fans, regularly presenting Gold, Platinum and Diamond certifications to artists and their label partners. And she has spearheaded efforts to ensure RIAA’s Board reflects modern record labels and the music community overall. Before her time at RIAA, Ballantyne worked in the highest reaches of government, as Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton, Special Counsel to then-White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and as General Counsel for then-Senate Democratic Leader, Senator Tom Daschle. She earned a B.A. from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, a master’s degree from George Washington University and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. A regular on Billboard’s Women in Music list and a 2021 Change Agent, Ballantyne was named a 2025 Universal Music Women’s Network honoree for her work creating opportunities for colleagues and peers. She was also named a 2026 US Black Chamber Power 50 Woman of Influence and serves on the Music Industry Climate Collective’s Advisory Council.

Morna Willens is Chief Policy Officer for the Recording Industry Association of America, leading the recorded music community’s state, federal and international lobbying and advocacy efforts. Spearheading a complex and far-reaching issue portfolio running from intellectual property to digital piracy to tax and trade to the breakneck rise of generative AI, Willens and her team are constantly communicating with policymakers at all levels of government – testifying at legislative hearings and fact-finding roundtables in support of music policy priorities and building and leading creative-community and cross-industry coalitions. From the federal Music Modernization Act updating copyright for the streaming era to new legislation protecting individual’s voices and likenesses from unconsented deepfakes like Tennessee’s landmark ELVIS Act and the federal NO FAKES Act, Willens’ team works to shape cutting edge rules of the road for the next generation of music creators. Before joining RIAA, Willens was a Vice President at the Glover Park Group supporting clients on a variety of issues from copyright to renewable fuels and a legislative staffer to Representative John Shimkus. She graduated from Northwestern University. A member of The Recording Academy, she also serves on the board of the American Irish State Legislators Caucus, which brings together a bipartisan network of American Irish legislators for education and policy action in support of the strong geopolitical relationship between the two countries. This connection is personal for Willens, who regularly visits her family’s farm in Louisburgh, County Mayo.

Jacob Tracer is acting Chief Legal Officer at the Recording Industry Association of America, overseeing legal policy, litigation and content protection. Tracer manages a cutting-edge litigation portfolio on behalf of RIAA’s members, addressing evolving forms of digital piracy, DMCA rights and responsibilities, and fair use and infringement in generative AI, while also overseeing the RIAA’s amicus curiae participation in novel and high-stakes cases that impact creators’ rights more broadly. His team represents RIAA members before the US Copyright Office and Copyright Royalty Board and supports the Association’s legislative advocacy. And he oversees RIAA’s best-in-class content protection program, battling pre-release leaks of valuable recording and managing DMCA notice and takedown operations for the Association’s members. From the cloud to the courtroom, Tracer and team fight every day to protect creators’ rights and intellectual property. Before joining RIAA, Tracer was a partner at Jenner & Block LLP, where he litigated cases on behalf of copyright holders and media companies. Tracer also served as a judicial law clerk for the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. He graduated cum laude from New York University School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Tracer earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and worked as an editor for The New York Times. Tracer has been recognized as a Billboard Top Music Lawyer and a National Law Journal Intellectual Property Trailblazer.

Karen Bell is the Chief Financial Officer at the Recording Industry Association of America, overseeing the organization’s financial strategy, budgeting, and fiscal operations to ensure resources are effectively allocated in support of the Association’s mission. Bell oversees all aspects of the RIAA’s financial management, information technology, employee benefits, and facilities operations. With 25 years of service and deep knowledge of RIAA’s organizational history and activities, Bell serves as a strategic partner to the senior leadership team helping anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and navigate the evolving policy and advocacy landscape in Washington, DC, and the states. In her role managing the Association’s physical space, Bell navigated long-term lease negotiations and construction of its signature DC headquarters – profiled in Billboard. Since 2001, she has advanced through a series of finance leadership roles, including Controller and Senior Vice President of Finance & Administration. Bell began her career in public accounting with Calibre CPA Group as an auditor, working with clients in the nonprofit sector and labor unions. The northern Virginia native earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from James Madison University. In 2022, Bell was recognized as Non Profit CFO Star by DCA Live. She is a member of the Greater Washington Society of CPAs, the Finance and Administration Roundtable, Leadership Music and the Trade Association of CFO network.