Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
JOIN APRO
JOIN APRO

APRO on The Hill

Trent Agin, David Keen, Congressman Rodney Davis, Congressman Mike Bost, Larry Carrico and APRO Executive Director Jill McClure
Rental dealers and vendors gathered February 7-9 in Washington, D.C., for APRO’s 2018 Legislative Conference. Rent-to-own professionals met with members of Congress and their staff to nurture relationships, introduce themselves to new lawmakers and educate them about the RTO industry.
Chris Kale, Congressman Dennis Ross, Sharon Tomaszewski and RTO YP Jeff Kale
APRO President Louis Garcia addressed attendees, emphasizing the importance of the meetings on Capitol Hill at the welcome reception and dinner. “We are all busy people,” begins Garcia, “however, getting out there and talking to the staffers, the congressmen and the senators to let them know what we’re about is paramount to our business.” More than 100 meetings were held in congressional offices over the course of the three-day event. “I was really impressed with the strength of our members’ relationships on Capitol Hill,” says APRO Director of Government Relations Apu Naik. “It’s easy to see why this industry has been able to protect its legislative interests for so many years.” Additional events included a reception and dinner at the International Spy Museum and a breakfast briefing. “Proactive relationship-building insures our lawmakers are informed about the value of our transaction before harmful legislation is introduced,” says APRO Executive Director Jill McClure. “We are appreciative of all the rental dealers and vendors who made advocating in Washington on behalf of the industry a priority this year.” APRO thanks conference sponsors RentDirect Nationwide, TRIB Group, Benefit Marketing Solutions and Imagery Marketing Group. We want to hear from you! If you attended this year’s legislative conference please send us your stories, photos and experience by Monday, February 12th at 2 PM CST to news@rtohq.org. Watch for Tuesday’s issue of RTO Today for the full album of Legislative Conference photos.

Upcoming Events

View Calendar



Popular Resources

Sign up for APRO Today

Copyright © · All Rights Reserved · APRO Privacy Policy · APRO Antitrust Policy

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Copyright © · All Rights Reserved · APRO Privacy Policy
Facebook Twitter Youtube Flickr

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.