Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Iowa-Nebraska State Association Holds 5th Annual Meeting

The 5th Annual Meeting of the Iowa-Nebraska Rental Dealers Association was packed with education, legislative discussions, and board elections.
Lyn Leach, President of ACE Furniture & TV Inc., dba Ace Rent-To-Own focuses on adaptability in his keynote: How to Succeed in a Changing Rent-to-Own World.

The Iowa-Nebraska Rental Dealers Association [INRDA] held its 5th Annual Meeting in-person, in mid-October, in Omaha, Nebraska. The full morning meeting and lunch provided all participants with opportunities to learn a little something and do a little industry networking.

TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shields kicked off the meeting, followed by a presentation on collections by Mark Kottke with National Account Systems of Omaha. INRDA’s Iowa Lobbyist, Doug Struyk of Carney & Appleby Law, and Iowa Representative Brent Siegrist [R-Council Bluffs] offered an overview of this year’s Iowa Legislative Session.

Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Mid-State Distributing, Aaron Nielsen covered challenges of the appliance side of the rent-to-own industry. Nielsen also highlighted the products they can supply and what customers are asking for.

INRDA’s Nebraska Lobbyist, Matt Schaefer of Mueller Robak LLC talked about the forecast for next year’s legislative session. And Lyn Leach – President of Ace Furniture & TV Inc., dba Ace Rent-To-Own and INRDA Board Member – capped off the morning’s agenda with a keynote: How to Succeed in a Changing Rent-to-Own World.

INRDA Past President Frank Rotert (left) opens the discussion on this year’s legislative session for Doug Struyk (right), Iowa Lobbyist.

The meeting also included INRDA’s annual business meeting, during which new board members and officers were elected for the organization, including: new INRDA President Jason Kunz of Arona Corporation, dba Arona Home Essentials; incoming Vice President Mike Shuler of S&P Rentals Inc., dba Premier Rental-Purchase; and Secretary/Treasurer Brian Luksetich of First State Financial Corp.

“The INRDA 5th Annual Meeting was, in a word, fantastic,” said Luksetich. “It’s great to get to see each other in-person again, and to talk about the industry and our spectrum of experiences over the past pandemic-filled year. A whole lot has changed, but our business seems as strong as ever!”

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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.