Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
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APRO Announces New Executive Director

Executive Director Jill McClure, CAE
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO), the international voice for the rental purchase industry since 1980, has announced the selection of Jill McClure, CAE, as its new executive director. Jill is replacing Bill Keese, the former APRO executive director, who will retire on June 30th. The national search firm, Sterling Martin Associates, and the APRO Search Committee consisting of Mark Connelly, David Kraemer, Larry D. Carrico, Charles Smithgall IV and Ed Winn III, selected Jill after reviewing several candidates. Bill Keese was also involved in the selection process. “Jill was always the number one candidate throughout the whole process,” shared APRO past president Mark Connelly. “From reviewing her resume and then all the interview rounds, she was unanimously the number one candidate for everyone on the committee.” McClure’s resume includes deep expertise in advertising, trade shows, and association management. She holds a master’s degree in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in communications and broadcasting. She served as chief operating officer with the Colorado Oil & Gas Association for seven years and has most recently worked for the Texas Association of School Boards in Austin. Jill is also a former adjunct professor in marketing and convention & trade show management at Austin Community College. She has experience as an ad agency director and corporate communications consultant serving Fortune 500 clients such as Dell, Motorola and Freescale. Jill is a Certified Association Executive (CAE). She holds current memberships in the Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE), and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in which she was named a 2013 Innovator. Jill is also a former member of the Colorado Society of Association Executives (CSAE). She has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 business professional by both the Denver Business Journal and the Mississippi Business Journal. “I thoroughly enjoyed my initial introduction to the APRO members at the  2017 Fuse Convention,” remarks Jill. “I will spend the coming months on a listening tour – traveling to our members to hear about their goals, needs and challenges. We will take that information and begin forming a plan of work, and will use some of the preliminary data to begin discussions for our strategic plan. I look forward to getting to know everyone, and to digging in to the work.” APRO is a nonprofit trade association advocating and representing the rental purchase industry before the U.S. Congress, Internal Revenue Service, state legislatures, the courts, media and the public.

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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.