Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Aaron’s Heather Calhoun Joins Warrick Dunn Charities Board

Aarons and APRO work together for rent to own14-Year Partnership with Warrick Dunn Charities Has Furnished Hundreds of Homes for Single-Parent Families Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions, and its divisions Aaron’s and Progressive Leasing, announced today that Heather Calhoun, Division Lead Counsel, has joined the Warrick Dunn Charities (WDC) Board of Directors. “Aaron’s has been honored to partner with Warrick Dunn Charities for the past 14 years during which we’ve furnished hundreds of homes for single parents through the Homes for the Holidays program,” said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron’s, Inc.  “We are proud of Heather’s appointment to the Warrick Dunn Charities Board of Directors, and we look forward to continuing our legacy of giving back to our communities, a commitment that began with our founder, Charlie Loudermilk, 62 years ago.” Calhoun joined Aaron’s in 2014 as an attorney in its Legal Department.  During her career at Aaron’s, Calhoun has been intimately involved in a number of leadership initiatives, including founding the company’s first women’s leadership program and being appointed as an inaugural member of the Aaron’s Future Leaders Program. “Aaron’s is committed to supporting Warrick Dunn Charities and the hundreds of lives the organization changes by improving the future for single-parent families through financial independence and stability,” said Calhoun.  “The charity’s motto that ‘A Better Future Starts With Hope’ wholly aligns with Aaron’s core values.  I am honored to continue working with WDC and furthering Aaron’s focus of serving the underserved.” “Our partnership with Aaron’s has resulted in hope for hundreds of single-parent families, and we are excited to welcome Heather to the Board of Directors,” said Warrick Dunn, founder of Warrick Dunn Charities and former NFL running back. “Corporate involvement like Heather’s service is invaluable to WDC not only from an outreach perspective but also through strategic partnership that comes from active board membership.” Prior to joining Aaron’s, Heather practiced law at Holland & Knight from 2005 to 2014.  Raised in Cordele, Georgia, Calhoun received her Bachelor’s degree in English from Mercer University and her Juris Doctor from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law.  She is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia. Warrick Dunn Charities provides hope and healing to communities through innovative programming inspired by Dunn’s life journey. The Homes for the Holidays program assists single parents in becoming first-time homeowners by providing the materials necessary for long-term stability and the provisions required to ensure both parent and children can thrive educationally, socially and economically. In addition to complete home furnishings, appliances, and furniture provided by Aaron’s, the Homes for the Holidays program also provides its recipients with $5,000 in down payment assistance, greatly lowering their monthly mortgage payments and providing extra money for doctor appointments and extracurricular activities for their children. About Aaron’s, Inc. Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), is a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. The Aaron’s Business engages in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories through its more than 1,800 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com. In addition, Progressive Leasing, a virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 22,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard®, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through federally insured banks. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com, Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com. About Warrick Dunn Charities Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc. provides hope and healing to communities through innovative programming inspired by our Founder’s life journey. Since 1997, the Homes for the Holidays program has helped 155 single parents and more than 400 children and dependents achieve first-time home ownership. Serving single-parent families nationwide, WDC and its partners have helped single parents to combat poverty and hunger and ensure families have basic necessities and comfortable surroundings in order to improve their quality of life. For more information, visit www.wdc.org.

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Mike Lewis

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.