What is APRO?

What is APRO? - Meet the staff of the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations



Bill Keese, Executive Director

800/204-2776, ext. 101

 

Bill oversees all operations of the association, manages the staff and resources and implements APRO board policy.  If you've got a policy question  or any question about APRO  he's the person to contact.

 

Email: bkeese@rtohq.org

 

Tulisha Carson, Office Manager

800/204-2776, ext. 111

 

Tulisha handles all of the bookkeeping for the association, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and staff benefits and preparation of the monthly financial and cash-flow statements. She can answer questions about APRO's billing.

 

Email: tcarson@rtohq.org

 

 Murlin Evans, Senior Reporter

 800/204-2776, ext. 105

 

 Murlin reports on the rent-to-own industry for APRO's Web 
 site, www.rtohq.org. He also assists in maintaining the 
 site, producing online audio and video presentations and managing the association's social networking efforts. If your company has news to share with others in the industry, please contact Murlin so that APRO can help spread the word. 


Email: mevans@rtohq.org

 

  Cindy Ferguson, CEM, Marketing Director

  800/204-2776, ext. 107

 

  Cindy manages advertising sales for APRO's publications, event sponsorships  
  and booth sales for the Trade Show at the annual Convention. She is also
  responsible for assisting the APRO president with the APRO Vendor Advisory 
Committee
. If you're a vendor interested in widening your customer base, contact Cindy.

 

Email: cferguson@rtohq.org

 

Neil Ferguson, Publications Editor/Art Director

800/204-2776, ext. 106 

 

Neil is responsible for editing and designing APRO's printed communications, including RTOHQ: The Magazine, the RTO Almanac and convention-and education-related promotional materials.     


Email: nferguson@rtohq.org

 

  Laurie Hill, IT/Web Director

  800/204-2776, ext. 103

 

  Laurie oversees APRO's IT and Web site needs.  She is also the director of circulation 
  for APRO publications, administrates the membership database, and maintains the
  registry for APRO meetings. 


Email: lhill@rtohq.org

 

  Jeannie Hutchison, Administrative Director

  800/204-2776, ext. 108 

 

  Jeannie organizes the annual APRO Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.,
  coordinates APRO's Political Action Committee and handles the needs of the state 
  rental dealer associations
.

 

Email: jhutchison@rtohq.org

 

Shelley Martinek, CMP, Member Services Director

800/204-2776, ext. 109

 

Shelley oversees the APRO member services department, which includes education and meetings. If you have questions regarding membership, member benefits, educational seminars, Rental Training Online, or APRO's Convention and Trade Show, contact Shelley. 
 

Email: smartinek@rtohq.org

 

Richard May, Public Affairs Director

800/204-2776, ext. 104 

 

Richard coordinates congressional and state legislative affairs and represents the rent-to-own industry before the media and financial community. He is responsible for many of the industry's statistical market research regarding rent-to-own's public image, economic impact, financial analysis, advertising, customer and employee satisfaction. He oversees the web content, news and produces APRO's audio and video productions.

 

Email: rmay@rtohq.org

 

Ed Winn III, General Counsel 

 

Ed helped found the association in 1980 and his knowledge of the rent-to-own industry is unsurpassed. He's a regular contributor to RTOHQ: The Magazine and offers legal advice to APRO members. For legal matters, contact Ed at 512/476-0750.

 

Email: edwinn@mwvmlaw.com

  

 

Join APRO Today!

For more information:
800/204-2776, ext. 109
Fax 512/794-0097
E-mail Shelley Martinek, APRO's member services director




2012 APRO Dave Egan
Legislative Conference

April 17-19, Washington, D.C.
Mark your calendars!
Get Social with RTOHQ.org!
Watch RTOHQ Rent to Own videos on YouTube!
Follow RTOHQ on Twitter!
Join RTOHQ on Facebook!
Share RTOHQ and bookmark your favorites
Featured APRO Photo:
From the KLQ 2010 Education Foundation Golf Tournament, Tacoma, WA Album
KLQ 2010 Education Foundation Golf Tournament, Tacoma, WA

View All RTO Photos
in the RTOHQ.org gallery
RTOHQ: The Magazine
RTOHQ: The Magazine is the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations' award-winning rent-to-own industry magazine, and it's available here.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR DIGITAL RTOHQ: THE MAGAZINE

 

RTOHQ: The Magazine’s upgraded digital format

APRO's new, mobile-ready magazine is now available in addition to our print edition. The digital format provides the same informative content as our printed magazine, but also offers tools to make the reading experience more enriching. Access the table of contents page with one click or tap. Get additional information from advertisers by clicking on the links in their ads. The interface is easy to navigate and requires no special app—read our magazine on your computer, digital table or smartphone. Click here to access the digital version of RTOHQ: The Magazine November-December 2011.

 

Marketing Matters

This year marks the launch of a marketing campaign initiated by APRO to build the rent-to-own customer base. It will be a multi-year endeavor employing multiple strategies. In this and upcoming issues of our magazine, we will address the many facets of marketing that affect our industry.

 

Striving for an A with the BBB

by William E. Freeland

Consumers often refer to the Better Business Bureau's ratings to help them make rental and purchasing decisions. National Rent-to-Own's human resource manager outlines the steps every RTO company should pursue to help earn an A+ from the BBB.

 

Creating an Extraordinary Customer Experience

by Bill Keese

Apple does it. Southwest Airlines does it. Can the rent-to-own industry also garner a national reputation for exceptional service and, in the process, attract new customers?

 

BB and BBQ on Beale Street

Memphis' reputation for tremendous food, groundbreaking music and Southern charm is well deserved. It's not too early to start planning your trip there next July for APRO's 2012 Rent-to-Own Convention and Trade Show.

 

Card Talk

by Ed Winn III

Credit and debit card payments are on the rise in rent-to-own. So are the risks in keeping such transactions secure.

 

Rent-to-Own Families, Part VI

by Kristen Card

No, you're not seeing double, or are you? Our latest profiles of kindred colleagues include two sets of twins-the Botkins and the Kimbles. And in Kansas, a son and daughter help their dad keep business running Strong.

 

 

Future issues of APRO's magazine will be available in this same new format. Click here to access past issues that are not yet archived in the new interface.

 

Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
1504 Robin Hood Trail
Austin, Texas 78703
800/204-2776, ext. 103
Fax 512/794-0097