Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

In Memoriam: John Rogers

John Rogers, 65, a longtime rent-to-own champion and APRO associate member, passed away on June 27. Rogers, who worked for rent-to-own software companies High Touch Technologies and Ideal Software before his retirement, received APRO’s Norm Smith Vendor of the Year award in 2002. He was very active in APRO since joining in 1984 and served as vice chairman on the association’s vendor advisory committee for many years; he also served as the associate member on the APRO board of directors. Throughout his years as a highly regarded rent-to-own vendor, Rogers worked diligently to promote vendor membership in APRO and he championed many of the state rental-dealer associations, as well. As a result of his efforts, more vendors participated in APRO, including increased attendance at the association’s annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. “In all the years I have been involved with the people of APRO and our industry in general, I can count on one hand the number of folks who were as kind and committed to us as John was,” remembers longtime APRO member Ernie Lewallen of UHR Rents in Cincinnati, Ohio. “He was tireless, whether working on behalf of his longtime employer High Touch, APRO, TRIB Group or with a number of state associations that he served. Long live the memory of John Rogers—such a special man.” “John was a major contributor to APRO and the rent-to-own industry,” says Cindy Ferguson, APRO’s senior director of sales and marketing. “He served with fierce dedication on the vendor advisory committee for more than 15 years and his ideas and suggestions while on the committee were always so helpful in making the APRO show a better one. John always had a smile on his face and had such a way of making me feel like we were best friends.” Rogers retired recently and was living in Wichita, Kansas. A visitation will be held there from 3 to 5 p.m. this Sunday, July 2, at the Downing & Lahey West Funeral Home. A service will be held at 10:30 a.m., July 3, at the Pathway Church in Wichita. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in his memory may do so through the memorial program at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market, Wichita, KS 67202; or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, 383 Main Ave., 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851. For more information, click here.

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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.