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Rent-2-Own Employees “Get 2” Celebrate Success

Team members from R2O’s Zanesville, Ohio, store were thrilled to win Store of the Year.

APRO member Countryside Rentals Inc. dba Rent-2-Own (R2O) recently held its annual meeting in Wilmington, Ohio, celebrating the company’s successes and honoring its above-and-beyond employees during a year themed “Uncommon.”

R2O President Mike Tissot hosted the event, expressing his pride over his team members’ excellence and growth during the year prior, as well as the opening of the company’s 42nd  store, in Lima, Ohio. Tissot also introduced R2O’s theme for the coming year: “Get 2.”

“‘Get 2’ is a mindset that turns obligations into opportunities,” Tissot said. “Rather than saying, ‘I have to,’ saying ‘I get to’ reframes the responsibility or task from a burden to a privilege. At Rent-2-Own, we get to serve our communities, help folks own nice stuff, build great relationships, and work at an amazing company.”

R2O closed its stores for the day so all employees could attend the annual meeting – a day filled with laughter, food, games, and random prize drawings. Two super-lucky team members – Cody Broughton and Peggy Hibbard – won new cars.

A gathering of R2O home-office and regional employees at the annual meeting: (L to R front) Brad Matthews, Jess Mahon; (L to R back) Ben Davis, Sr., Jeff Borders, Cam Kiger, Jeremiah Guisinger, Mark McCown, and Amy Coffey. 
Among other prizes, R2O gave away two new cars to super-lucky team members.
Peggy Hibbard is overcome with excitement upon winning a new car at the R2O annual meeting.

An awards ceremony capped off the event, with several vendors being shown special appreciation and the following employees among the recognized:

  • Employee of the Year – Bill Fox, Warehouse Manager;
  • Home Office Employee of the Year – Tyler Jackson, Service Department;
  • Manager of the Year – Dawn Tharp, Mount Vernon, Ohio;
  • Assistant, Sales, or Collections Manager of the Year – Beth Valentine, Zanesville, Ohio;
  • Account Manager of the Year – James Mullins, Louisa, Ohio;
  • Regional Manager of the Year – Cam Kiger;
  • Rookie of the Year – Jacob Lowe, Lima, Ohio;
  • Slash Award – PJ McCoy, Logan, Ohio;
  • Customer Sales Representatives of the Year: Derrick Griffith, Susan Ross, and Jessica Simon, Waverly, Ohio;
  • Delivery Specialists of the Year: Drehly Conley, Anthony Cox, Logan Cutright, and Wyatt Wheeler, Chillicothe, Ohio;
  • Lifetime Achievement Award – David Moore; and
  • Store of the Year – Zanesville, Ohio.

Congratulations to all the award winners, and cheers to R2O’s year to “Get 2”!

Mike Tissot (L) with Jacob Lowe (R), recipient of the Rookie of the Year Award.
Mike Tissot (L) presents PJ McCoy (R) with the Slash Award.
Beth Valentine (L), honored with the Assistant, Sales, or Collections Manager of the Year, alongside Mike Tissot (R).

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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.