Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Rent One Steven Carrico Initiates KidSmart’s Young Friends Board

Rent One Director of Real Estate Steven Carrico serves on the board for KidSmart, a nonprofit organization that provides free school supplies to more than 90,000 students in St. Louis area, helped develop its first Young Friends Board. Larry and Sharon Carrico’s Great Expectations Foundation also aided in the necessary funding to launch the young friends board in 2017. Below is the article KidSmart released announcing the Young Friends Board. You can also read it in its original format by clicking here.
Great Expectations Foundation provides seed funding for KidSmart Young Friends Board
Founding Co-Chairs Ashby Owens and Lauren Wendell are excited and eager to make a difference in the St. Louis community by starting KidSmart’s first young friends board.  The very generous support from the Great Expectations Foundation provides the necessary funding to launch the young friends board in 2017. KidSmart opened the doors to what remains Missouri’s only Free Educational Supply Store 15 years ago.  The Free Store equips tens of thousands of St. Louis area kids with items such as: paper, pencils, markers, glue, and crayons… items every child must have to succeed in school. Each and every child has a hope and dream… they have the desire and ability to achieve those dreams. They simply lack the essential tools critical for success. KidSmart kids are our kids… they are tomorrow’s doctors, teachers, engineers. It is the continued support from the entire St. Louis community who has donated their dollars, time, and school supplies that have truly the real difference in the education and lives of so many local kids. KidSmart’s Young Friends Board will help the organization expand in 2017 by bringing an awareness of the need in our neighborhoods and getting support from St. Louis young adults looking to make a direct impact on our future generations. “I’m excited to be a part of KidSmart’s Young Friends Board because I feel there is a need that people rarely see, especially young adults like myself. Being able to help kids with such basic needs is something I really feel will help them succeed in the their future. I think many young adults want to see our youth succeed, but are unaware of how to help.” -Lauren Wendell The Young Friends Board Members will collect school supplies and help KidSmart deliver the items directly into the classrooms with KidSmart’s On the Go! Truck.  Each week The On the Go! Truck deliveries $15,000 in free school supplies to students in high poverty schools. “I want everyone on the young friends board to feel the excitement a child gets by receiving pencils to use or book to read! Our goal is to raise awareness of how many kids in the St. Louis area cannot afford to buy school supplies to learn. KidSmart is such an incredible organization and I cannot wait to be a part of its growth.” – Ashby Owens. The partnership with the Great Expectations Foundation and continued support from Steve Carrico of Rent One provides KidSmart’s Young Friends Board with a fun and exciting way to network and make an impact on the St. Louis community. WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:
  • Make a donation at www.kidsmartstl.org/donate or by texting “kids” to 314-207-2448
  • Schedule a time to volunteer with your company, friends, or even by yourself
  • Host a supply drive in your company, church, etc.
If you are interested in being considered for KidSmart’s Young Friends Board, please contact us via email at info@kidsmartstl.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.