NEWSLETTERS - LRDA members meeting to focus on membership, political activism, identity theft

LRDA meeting to focus on membership, political activism, identity theft

The Louisiana Rental Dealers Association annual membership meeting will tee off off April 22 with a golf tournament and cocktail reception leading to a full plate of association related business the next day.

LRDA Vice President Dave Boggan says 30-40 state dealers are expected at the association's annual business meeting April 22-23 at the Paragon Casino and Resort in Marksville, Louisiana.

LRDA President Jeff White

Boggan, who oversees 93 stores as the vice president of the Mississippi Valley Operations for Aarons Sales and Lease Ownership, says he hopes that figure will double as members are encouraged to recruit and bring at least one new member to the meeting.

"The future is in the membership," Boggan says. "Getting together and sharing new ideas that can benefit us all is what it's all about. The more information you disseminate and the more fun you have, the more people want to come and participate."

Boggan suggested LRDA members may consider holding state meetings twice a year.

The member meeting will take place from 8:30 - 4 p.m. and will begin with an annual business meeting and election of officers. Three positions, president, vice president and treasurer are up for election.

Dennis Willich of Nationwide Marketing Group will then give LRDA members an overview of his division, Nationwide Southwest, which is sponsoring the event, followed by a federal legislative update from APRO Legal Counsel Ed Winn III.

Winn will discuss recent gains made by rent-to-own members in Washington D.C. at the recent APRO legislative conference.

Encouraging more political action by its members is another of LRDA's goals this year, Boggan says.

So far, the House version of the industry supported Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act, H.R. 1767 has 82 co-sponsors but none from Louisiana -- something LRDA needs to have a role in correcting, Boggan says.

"We've got to get our people more involved in that," Boggan says. "The more active people are in state, federal and local politics the better we are going to be down the road."

The lead sponsor of the companion bill in the Senate, S. 1012,  Sen. Mary Landrieu, and one of that bills co-sponsors, Sen. David Vitter, are both from Louisiana.

After lunch, detective Roger Whitacre of Whitacre and Hardy Associates will lead a talk on "Identity Theft and Your Customers".

Current LRDA officers include president Jeff White, of Rent One, Boggan and Treasurer Jean Poulin of Express Rental Purchase.

Advance registration is required to allow for planning.  RSVP today by contacting click here to e-mail Jeff White or call  318/742-8650. Hotel reservation deadline is April 8.

mevans@rtohq.org