Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

The 2024-2026 Vendor Advisory Committee (VAC) Candidates

An email was sent to your primary contact associated with your membership with access to an online ballot for the 2024-2026 APRO Vendor Advisory Committee from .

Please note that APRO has 6 vacancies to fill on the VAC this year.

If you have not received the email, be sure to check your junk mail. Ballots may be submitted through this link no later than Tuesday, July 30.

Monica Bean

Account Executive

Captive Management Services


Bio: I have the pleasure of working as an Account Executive for Captive Management Services where I establish relationships with prospective clients, provide exceptional service through the creation and maintenance of clients' Privately Owned Reinsurance Company, and design marketing campaigns. Building real and lasting relationships with our clients is my favorite aspect of this position. I have enjoyed learning from other industry leaders while serving on the VAC and hope to continue to do so. Inside and outside of the professional setting, my skills include event planning, public speaking, writing, marketing, and interpersonal communication. I believe that I am a hardworking and authentic addition to the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee.

Bill French

Vice President

O’Rourke Sales Company


Bio: Bill French has shown great leadership of the RTO division of O’Rourke Sales Company for over 23 years as VP of sales for the Rent to Own channel. Bill is also the Vice Chair of the APRO board of directors and head of the vendor advisory committee for many years. Bill is a strong supporter of APRO with his participation in state associations and the annual legislative conference in Washington DC. His dedication to the rental industry has earned him recognition as the TRIB and APRO vendor of the year. Prior to joining O’Rourke Sales Company Bill was a regional Vice President of LG Electronics/Zenith. Bill began his career selling Whirlpool appliances and RCA TV’s with the Frank Lyon Company in 1971.

Michael Helton

Tax Shareholder

Rivero, Gordimer & Company, P.A.


Bio: Michael Helton has been with Rivero, Gordimer & Company, P.A. since 1999. Helton’s areas of concentration include tax preparation, planning and consultation for individuals and businesses, estates and trusts, succession planning, and other topics. He has over 17 years of experience with clients in the RTO business and currently serves on the APRO vendor advisory board. Helton is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and serves on several non-profit boards. Mike graduated from Shawnee State University where he played on the basketball team and earned his degree in Business Administration. Mike currently resides in Tampa, Florida with his wife and four kids.

James MacAlpine

Senior Vice President

Benefit Marketing Solutions


Bio: James MacAlpine began his career in RTO in 1985 with Rent-A-Center where he managed stores and markets in Texas, Louisiana, and New York. He started a new RTO industry buying group by Nationwide Marketing Group, an opportunity that led him to oversee the organization's RTO and retail membership. In 2018, MacAlpine joined Aon Benefit Marketing Solutions as Senior Vice President of Business Development. James has held Board positions with multiple RTO state rental dealer associations and has been an APRO member for over 20 years. In 2012, he was honored as APRO's Vendor of the Year. James lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife of 36 years.

Marty Smith

Vice President of Sales

Sleep Partners LLC


Bio: For over 30 years, Marty has served the RTO industry giving him insight on what drives the industry. Marty has served on the TRIB vendor relations board and currently serves on the APRO VAC. He started as a sales rep for Pioneer Electronics, then held the position of V.P. of Sales and Marketing for Rent One, and later became a managing partner at Imagery Marketing Group before becoming the V.P. of Sales at Noctova Sleep. In 2013, he was inducted to the TRIB Vendor Hall of Fame and honored with the APRO Vendor of the Year Award in 2017.

Howard Topping

Managing Director

Slumba Mattress


Bio: As a serial entrepreneur, my career experience has been focused on In-Store fixture design and manufacturing. I employ ethnographic, user-based shopper insights to inform the designs and evaluate their success. Along with my son Cody, we founded Deep Blue Industries dba Slumba Mattress in 2018. Our thesis for the business was to create bedding that would be easy for the shopper to understand, high quality, affordable and supported with extraordinary service. We are exclusively focused on the Rent-to-Own industry. I have come to appreciate how the industry and its members support their customers, and I am very interested in growing my participation.

Upcoming Events




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.