Briley is new APRO President
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| New APRO President Robert Briley. |
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations Board of Directors Thursday, elected Robert Briley as the association’s new president.
Briley, who currently serves as first vice president, succeeds outgoing president "Tiger" John Cleek who was elected APRO’s president the past two years.
In the board meeting, members also elected Cynthia Strunk first vice president, David David second vice president, Richard Rose secretary and Chris Bolin treasurer.
Briley, who owns seven Aaron’s Sales and Lease stores in West Texas was elected to the APRO board of directors in 2001. Briley earned APRO’s Rental Dealer of the Year Award in 2005 and was awarded the APRO Legislative Conference American flag for holding the highest number of congressional meetings during APRO’s 2000 Legislative Conference.
Briley said his first order of business as APRO’s president is to listen to the membership. Briley said the continued viability of the national trade association depends on its ability to meet the needs of a diverse array of businesses.
"APRO represents a very diverse group of people all with different views about the direction of the industry," Briley said. "I am confident because I have a great staff at APRO, a membership that represents the spirit and heart of this industry and an outstanding board of directors to work with. These give me peace because they are people I can count on. A group can create a greater plan than a single person. A shared vision is the only vision.
Within hours of his election, Briley has already met with TRIB Executive Director Dennis Shields and RentDirect Nationwide Executive Director James McAlpine — representatives of the nation’s two rent to own buying groups — and other industry leaders to open a line of communication he said is essential to the growth prosperity and safety of the industry.
"Goal setting, I believe, is a bottom up, not a top down exercise," he said.