Association of Professional Rental Organizations (APRO)
JOIN APRO
JOIN APRO
Magazine Archive Banner

[2020 Archive] The FRDA Legacy Continues in Tallahassee

Digitally Archived: 2026

Archive Notice

This article was originally published in an APRO magazine and has been digitally archived to preserve the history of the rent-to-own industry. It is presented for historical and educational purposes. References to laws, regulations, business practices, products, organizations, or compliance requirements reflect the time of original publication and may no longer be current.ย Readers should consult current legal and compliance resources before relying on any information contained in this article.

The annual Florida Rental Dealers Association (FRDA) Legislative Meeting took place this year on February 12, in Tallahassee. โ€œWe had a magnificent time spreading the positive word about our industry to the leaders of the great state of Florida!โ€ said FRDA President Paul Metivier regarding his experience with the event.

Metivier succeeded FRDA Past President Sharon Tomaszewski in December and brings 11 years of experience as a member on the FRDA board of directors. โ€œWe have held our legislative meeting for many years, and all of our efforts add to our bond with representatives year by year,โ€ said Tomaszewski.

Advocates attended 13 meetings with state representatives, senators, and legislative staff throughout the course of the day. FRDA also met with the Florida Retail Federation in the morning and discussed important bills that will be both helpful and challenging for brick-and-mortar retail operators in Florida.

Along with meeting the seasoned lawmakers, FRDA members helped educate new representatives who do not have extensive experience in business or who have historically been involved in professions not related to RTO. Additionally, there have been efforts towards lowering commercial real estate taxes and pushing for more reasonable workmanโ€™s compensation claims in Florida. These highly impactful legislative actions are the reasons FRDA has kept this tradition alive and healthy. The FRDA group then headed to their meetings with Representative Will Robinson, Representative Jackie Toledo, and Senator Joe Gruters. The crew took the opportunity to develop their professional and personal relationships with Floridaโ€™s lawmakers.

FRDA members gathered in Tallahassee for their annual Legislative Meeting, advocating for the rent-to-own industry and strengthening relationships with state lawmakers. Through key discussions and meetings with representatives, the group highlighted important issues impacting Florida retailers and reinforced their ongoing legislative efforts.

THIS YEAR’S ATTENDEES

  • Aminah Bethea, Store Manager, Impact RTO
  • Craig Carroccino, Store Manager, Impact RTO
  • Ruben Flores, FRDA board member
  • Jonathan Hobbs, Regional Manager, Impact RTO
  • Chris Kale Jr., TRIB President and FRDA board member
  • Chris Kale Sr., APRO President and FRDA board member
  • Shirin Kanji, APRO and FRDA board member
  • Paul Metivier, FRDA President
  • Lisa Mitchell, Regional Director, Impact RTO
  • Adam Sutton, APRO and FRDA board member
  • Sharon Tomaszewski, FRDA Past President

Upcoming Events

View Calendar


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 companyโ€™s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life โ€“ 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.ย 

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 PTSโ€™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 Studiesย 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 APROโ€™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 worldโ€™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, Mikeโ€™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 Presidentโ€™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.ย