Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

RTO Loses a Champion: “Tiger” John Cleek (1/16/50-3/16/22)

“Tiger” John Cleek was a titan in the RTO industry and leaves behind a legacy of achievement and service unlikely to be equaled any time soon. Tiger got started in the RTO business in the late 70’s working for his father, Clifton Elmo Cleek, in Cleek’s Appliance and Food Service in Columbia, Missouri. Immediately after graduating from the University of Missouri in 1972, Tiger was made store manager and the rest was history. Since then, Tiger and his son, John Jr. grew the family business, operating five stores in Mid-Missouri. Tiger has been active in the business every day despite his diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) on June 4, 2020. In regular Tiger fashion, the Cleek’s have actively engaged in fundraising for the ALS Association. On August 14, 2021, “Team Tiger” raised $83,000 for the ALS Walk, thanks primarily to the huge support from the RTO industry. 

Tiger was not only active in the day-to-day running of his RTO business, he was also active in the RTO industry. In 1987 he co-founded the Missouri Rental Dealers Association (MRDA), where he served as President for four years and afterward, remained on the board until his passing. Tiger’s efforts in MRDA made it one of the largest and most successful state associations in the country. Tiger, early on, had the foresight to hire a paid administrator to help maintain and grow MRDA, the first state association to do so.

He was also active at the national level, serving on the APRO board for 12 years and as APRO President for two terms. He was a champion for RTO at all levels and was heavily involved in the industry’s legislative efforts, working closely with Rep. Lacy Clay (D. MO), the lead sponsor for favorable legislation in 2008, which did not ultimately pass, but which garnered the largest number of co-sponsors for RTO legislation ever and raised the profile of the industry to new levels in Washington, D.C. 

Tiger will perhaps be best remembered for having recognized early on the importance of having strong state associations as the first line of defense for the industry that he loved and wanted to protect. He singlehandedly got the APRO State Association Coordinating Committee up and running and spent his time and money traveling the country organizing and re-organizing state RTO associations. He was given the APRO Dealer of the Year Award in 1996 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Most recently he was presented the inaugural Tiger Award, created and named after him in honor of his many contributions to APRO and the industry.

He is survived by many members of his family, his wife, Ann Cleek, son, John Cleek, Jr. (Heather), grandchildren, Johnny (Renee), Mary, and Thomas, a great-grandson, Rhett, plus his two sisters, Sally Cleek Francis (Roy) and Susie Cleek all of whom miss him very much as do his scores of friends in the industry. 

APRO has provided a collection of photos of “Tiger” John Cleek from his lifelong career as an RTO Champion. He is missed.

Below is the information for the services the family has organized:

Visitation:
Friday, April 8
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Parker-Millard Funeral Home
12 East Ash Street
Columbia, MO 65203

Funeral Service
Saturday, April 9
1:00 PM
The Crossing Church
3615 Southland Drive
Columbia, MO 65201

Celebration of Life Party: 
Saturday, April 9
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Faurot Field – The Columns Club (Eastside of Stadium)
Wear black and gold (Missouri Tigers) attire!

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to one of the following organizations in “Tiger” John Cleek’s memory: 

1) MU Healthcare ALS Clinic
2) Special Olympics Missouri
3) The Food Bank of Central & NE Missouri 

John, Jr. will send contributions to the appropriate organization. Please mail all contributions to: 

Cleek’s Inc.  
401 West Boulevard North Suite C                    
Columbia, MO 65203

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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.