Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
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State RDA Presidents Hold First-Quarter Meeting

APRO recently held the first quarterly State President Meetup of 2024, bringing about 15 state rental dealer associations (RDAs) together. The quarterly meetups are a chance for these industry leaders to network with each other, discuss upcoming RTO events, plan for the upcoming year, and learn more about issues important to the rent-to-own industry.

APRO CEO Charles Smitherman kicked off the call by discussing APRO’s new Legislative Conference Fellowship program, designed to help develop RTO employees into champions and advocates who can educate elected officials and the public about the benefits of rent-to-own. Fellowships – valued at $1,000 each and sponsored by state RDAs and Ashley Furniture Industries – will go toward selected Fellows’ expenses to attend the APRO Legislative Conference, scheduled for April 24-26, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

“There’s no more important job than telling the story of rent-to-own and its benefits to our customers, and this is the opportunity,” said Smitherman. “APRO is committed to training new leaders in our industry, and I encourage all our members to join us.”

Next, APRO General Counsel Ed Winn III provided a legislative update, reviewing several upcoming bills with the potential to affect RTO businesses. Winn also offered a series of Political Action Committee (PAC) do’s and don’ts. APRO’s PAC is working to raise $50,000 to ensure industry support of or opposition to political candidates, ballot initiatives, or proposed legislation.

The state presidents also discussed their vital support of educational scholarships through the APRO Charitable Foundation. Thanks to greater support from state leaders – from five to nine state organizations – APRO and state RDAs provided nine more scholarships during 2023-2024 than the previous year. State RDAs are now considering how they will support the 2024-2025 scholarships.

Lastly, APRO shared information about its upcoming Social Media Hacks webinar on January 25, 2024, at 1:00 PM CT, encouraging as many members to join as possible. The APRO team also requested ideas for upcoming quarterly educational webinars.

The next State Presidents Meetup will be held on April 11, 2024, at 1:00 PM CT.

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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.