Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Rent One and RNR Midwest Annual Charity Week Commits $100K

APRO members SKC Enterprises, Inc. dba Rent One and RNR Midwest dba RNR Tire Express recently held their fourth annual Give Back Charity Week, held in conjunction with company Owners Larry and Sharon Carrico’s Great Expectations Foundation.

Great Expectations Foundation, founded in 2011, awards grants two time per year for organizations focused on children’s education, fitness and wellness, along with their emotional and spiritual development.

The Carricos believe that “every child’s story should be one of triumph.” With the help of over 600 empoyees, they have raised over $1 million for charities nationwide in the past ten years.

During Charity Week, teams give back to their communities by selecting places like a police station or veteran’s center to deliver pizzas, or an animal shelter to deliver pet supplies. They also raise funds that are distributed throughout the year to dozens of charitable organizations in all eight states where Rent One and RNR Midwest have locations. Each contribution has triple the impact, with matches from SKC Enterprises as well as Larry and Sharon Carrico.

As part of Charity Week, team members celebrated the 77 gifts awarded last year, that benefited multiple causes across their local communities, including:

  • The Amy Schulz Child Advocacy Center, which provides a safe place for children who are victims of sexual or severe physical abuse;
  • United Way of the Mark Twain Area, to help with a specific tragedy in the community; and
  • We Are the 22, which combats the veteran suicide epidemic, to provide armor and trauma kits for new responders as the organization expanded into Missouri and Oklahoma.

At the close of this year’s Give Back Charity Week, the teams had committed a total of $100,000 to partner up with local organizations and contribute to approximately 100 charities, helping children and others within their communities over the coming year.

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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.