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A Stylish New Way to Support Your RTO Colleagues

Charles Smitherman and Andrew Hajduk model the new APRO Charitable Foundation apparel.

APRO is excited to announce a new initiative to support the APRO Charitable Foundation, the 501(c)3 organization that administers the RTO (Relief to Our) Employees Disaster Relief Fund and the APRO Scholarship Fund.

Inspired to help raise awareness and funds for the Foundation, Andrew Hajduk, President of APRO member Vox-Pop-Uli Inc., developed the APRO Charitable Foundation apparel program to facilitate both of those goals.

The concept is simple: when an APRO member purchases branded apparel for their employees, they have the option to add the APRO Charitable Foundation’s logo in addition to their company’s logo, and Vox-Pop-Uli contributes a percentage of each purchase directly to the Foundation.

The first APRO member to participate in the program is Buddy’s Newco LLC dba Buddy’s Home Furnishings, which announced at its Annual Leadership Conference earlier this year that all company apparel will feature the APRO Charitable Foundation logo.

“At Buddy’s, we believe in building a strong sense of community, increasing awareness, and offering diverse ways to engage our team in greater participation in the Charitable Foundation, ultimately benefiting both employees in need and our organization as a whole,” said Teresa Hill, VP of Operational Support.

Buddy’s is the first APRO member to give back to the Charitable Foundation with its stylish shirts.

Only employees of APRO dealer member companies are eligible for support from the Charitable Foundation, whether the Disaster Relief Fund at a time of hardship, or the Scholarship Fund to support family members attending college or a trade school. Including the Foundation’s logo and the tagline – RTO helping RTO – on company shirts helps raise awareness of this benefit among your employees in case they find themselves in need of either kind of aid.

“For the past several years, we’ve awarded an average of 40 scholarships each year, and we’re continuing to receive disaster relief requests due to the recent hurricanes that hit so many communities so hard,” said APRO CEO Charles Smitherman. “We appreciate all the donations we’ve received to help replenish our funds and are thankful for the ongoing support that will be provided from Vox-Pop-Uli’s Charitable Foundation apparel program.”

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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.