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Simmons Donates Beautyrest Beds to Atlanta Fire Stations

192502-simmons-recharge
Simmons executive Michelle Montgomery, third from left, back row, presents new Beautyrest sleep sets to Atlanta-area fire station officials.
Bedding major Simmons recently showed more support for metro Atlanta fire stations with a donation of Beautyrest mattresses through its Firehouse Recharge program. The company said it completed a donation of 235 mattresses, made over a two-year period, to the DeKalb County fire stations. Now in its fourth year, Firehouse Recharge is the Atlanta-based Beautyrest brand’s philanthropic initiative to provide fire departments in the metro-Atlanta area with new mattresses, so that firefighters get the restful, recharging sleep they need to keep communities safe, officials said. “The Firehouse Recharge program is special because it gives us the opportunity to champion good sleep for those who need it most, while also giving us a platform to educate the public about the role quality sleep plays in optimal performance,” said Michelle Montgomery, Beautyrest’s vice president of marketing communications. “With more than 100,000 yearly responses and one of the largest territories in Georgia,” she continued, “there is hardly a team more worthy of restful sleep than the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department, and we hope our donation demonstrates our gratitude to these brave men and women.” DeKalb County Fire Chief Darnell Fullum recently joined Beautyrest representatives and firefighters at Station 6 to celebrate the 2016 mattress donation, which included 85 mattress sets. That donation, combined with an earlier donation of 150 mattresses, is enough to outfit all of the bunkrooms in the 26-station fire department, which serves 15 communities. Fullum thanked Beautyrest officials for the donations. “When firefighters are on-duty, they are on-call around the clock,” he said. “Consequently, it is essential that our fire-rescue personnel obtain the best sleep possible so they are ready to mobilize and save lives at a moment’s notice. Over the past two years, Beautyrest has been a wonderful partner to our department, and we are thankful for its commitment to DeKalb County and to the entire metro-Atlanta fire rescue community.” Since the Firehouse Recharge program began in 2013, Beautyrest has donated more than 500 mattresses to local fire departments and plans to continue expanding its efforts to the greater metro area and beyond, officials said. Source: Furniture Today

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Mike Lewis

Central Properties dba Premier Rental-Purchase

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.