Dear APRO members,
Twelve months ago, I received the spectacular news of my selection to become the new CEO of APRO. What a wonderful year and journey it’s been so far! At its core, rent-to-own is a relationship business, and it’s my real pleasure to serve an industry and group of people whom I care deeply about.
Engagement and enhancing your membership value and experience are central to APRO’s mission as your trade association. From our active presence and involvement in industry meetings and events, to our publications – like this award-winning magazine and our weekly newsletter – that share and promote your stories and the wonderful work you do for your customers and communities, to our growing offering of informative webinars and educational opportunities, APRO is here for you – an association of members, by members, and for members.
Our trip to Washington, D.C., this spring for APRO’s annual Legislative Conference exemplified our core mission as your champion for public policy recognizing the importance of rent-to-own. With 77 attendees, 11 first-time Legislative Fellows, and 120 total meetings, this year’s conference was a huge success, bringing our members together for one common purpose: to advance RTO. True to our relationship roots, we nurtured existing friendships and created new connections with our Congressional lawmakers, while laying groundwork for enriched federal and state advocacy for years to come. (Read all about it in “New Kids on the Hill” on page 18.)
Looking forward, rent-to-own’s biggest event of the year is just around the corner – RTO World 2024, scheduled for August 6-8 in Orlando, Florida! (Learn more in “Orlando: More than the Mouse” on page 42.) With Universal Orlando as a backdrop, this year’s APRO-TRIB partnership is set to deliver some extraordinary education, awesome networking opportunities, and the industry’s largest expo, as well as what promises to be the one of the best Experience Parties ever. And, for the first time, this year’s event features the premier Protecting the Transaction Summit, focusing on legal and regulatory issues facing RTO, and the inaugural Women’s Forum, furthering the influence and key roles of women in our industry. Free to RTO World registrants, we hope you’ll join us for these two new additions!
Meanwhile, the APRO Board of Directors has been hard at work, as ever. This spring, these volunteer leaders approved newly revamped Mission, Vision, and Values Statements, initiating their efforts to develop the new 2025-28 Strategic Plan for the association. (Check out “What’s the Plan?” on page 30 for more information.)
Over the past year, I’ve often shared personal stories about my endurance running and Ironman triathlons. While the lessons I’ve learned through these experiences are myriad, the root principle beneath them all is the mantra keep moving. I’m proud to note that APRO has accomplished some great things during the past 12 months, and I’m thrilled to confirm we’re going to keep moving – in fact, we’re just getting started!
Looking forward to seeing you all at RTO World in Orlando – it’s going to be incredible!
Charles W. Smitherman, J.D., Ph.D.
APRO CEO
