Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

U.S. Chamber Launches Nationwide Worker Shortage Initiative

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently launched a new nationwide initiative designed to speed up industry and government action to address America’s deepening worker shortage crisis.

According to new data published by the U.S. Chamber:

  • There are now half as many available workers for every open job across the country as there have been on average over the past 20 years; and
  • 91% of state and local chambers of commerce say work shortages are holding back their economies.

Through this new initiative, “America Works,” the U.S. Chamber is advocating for – and rallying businesses to urge – federal and state policy changes to help train more Americans for high-demand jobs, remove barriers to work, and double the number of visas available for legal immigrants.

“This is Operation Warp Speed for jobs,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark. “The worker shortage is real, and it’s getting worse by the day. American businesses of every size, across every industry, in every state, are reporting unprecedented challenges filling open jobs. The worker shortage is a national economic emergency, and it poses an imminent threat to our fragile recovery and America’s great resurgence.”

The America Works Agenda is a suite of legislative and regulatory solutions designed to eliminate barriers to work for Americans, invest in skills and job training, and reform our country’s broken, outdated immigration system. Specifically, the Agenda calls for:

  • Growing federal investments in employer-led job education and training programs;
  • Expanding access to childcare for working parents; and
  • Doubling the cap on employment-based visas, doubling the quota on H-1B and H-2B visas, and implementing other legal immigration system reforms to help employers fill high-demand jobs in labor-strapped sectors.

“Only by addressing all three challenges can we address our nation’s workforce challenges,” Clark said.

At the same time, the U.S. Chamber Foundation is expanding its best employer-led workforce and job-training programs, to help more businesses develop the talent they need, and help more workers better prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow:

  • The Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management program – an employer-led job-training initiative will expand from its current 35 states to a total of 42 states by 2023, and later this year, will launch a new online learning platform to reach and support more employers and education partners nationwide;
  • The Foundation will soon launch the Jobs and Employment Data Exchange [JEDx] initiative to update and streamline job postings, improve hiring analytics and data, and equip workers applying for jobs with better employment and earnings records;
  • The Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, which has helped more than 600,000 veterans and military spouses secure jobs, will launch a new program later this year to help connect military vets with high-demand technology careers; and
  • The Foundation, partnering with the Society for Human Resource Management, is encouraging and equipping businesses to become “second-chance” employers by hiring ex-offender job candidates.

“Together, we can and we must address our nation’s workforce challenges,” concludes Clark. “With a highly skilled workforce, there’s nothing business cannot achieve, and nothing we as a nation cannot do.”

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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.