APRO General Counsel, Ed Winn III, announced his retirement at year’s end during the recent meeting of the Board of Directors held in Austin, Texas. Winn, at the invitation of Bud Holladay, attended the first-ever meeting of rent-to-own dealers in Dallas, Texas, in July 1980. He knew nothing of the RTO industry, but agreed to assist with creating a nonprofit trade association for RTO, which became APRO. Winn served as APRO’s first Executive Director, and originally ran the association from his law office in Austin, Texas.
Winn served as General Counsel for APRO for the next four-plus decades, monitoring all things RTO, sharing critical information at industry events, writing and editing thousands of articles for RTOHQ: The Magazine, and talking to rental dealers almost every day of his life.
Winn has given generously of his time, energy, brilliance, candor, and wit – not simply to help make the rent-to-own industry look good, but to help the industry be better. Last year, the association created and presented the APRO Legacy Award to Winn in honor of his enduring dedication to the success, advancement, and continuous improvement of the association and advocacy for the whole industry.
At the recent board meeting, Winn explained that he is ready to do more than practice law while he still has his health and his wits.
“Forty-four years is long enough to be a lawyer,” Winn said. “The world is a needy place, and I will try to find another worthwhile need out there and try to help.”
Winn noted that he is leaving APRO in very good hands with the leadership of CEO Charles Smitherman, who is an attorney himself.
“Ed is and will remain an institution at APRO and for the RTO industry,” said Smitherman. “It is no understatement to say his involvement with the association from day one has played a foundational role in producing the health and sustainability we all enjoy in this industry. Ed’s vast knowledge, his learned guidance, and his witty sense of humor will be greatly missed. Ed is truly a giant upon whose shoulders we stand.”
Winn indicated he is open to maintaining a relationship with APRO and the rent-to-own industry, as both have been such a large part of his life for so long. During his tenure with APRO, Winn has always worked diligently to put the RTO industry’s best foot forward, championing rental dealers with public officials, the media, and the public. Winn has helped make America safe for rent-to-own, and he and his extraordinary efforts will be always remembered and definitely missed.
