Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

APRO Legislative Conference Helps Educate Legislators About RTO

Since it began 31 years ago, APRO’s Legislative Conference has been one of the rent-to-own industry’s main events each year. This year’s conference was held in early April in Washington, D.C., at the beautiful boutique Kimpton George Hotel.

Prior to the official launch of the conference, an exclusive event was hosted for attendees who had also contributed to the APRO PAC (Political Action Committee). Participants who gave received a meet-and-greet opportunity with U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY), followed by a welcome reception for all 84 registrants.

APRO Legislative Conference attendees met with Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL) to discuss the benefits of the rent-to-own industry. Pictured (L to R): APRO CEO Charles Smitherman, SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One CEO Larry Carrico, Congressman Darin LaHood, Action Development Corporation, dba Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership CEO Gopal Reddy, Aaron’s LLC Senior Director of Corporate Affairs Michael Wall, and Slumba, LLC Managing Director Howard Topping.

The next day began with breakfast and keynotes from Curtis Beaulieu, Senior Policy Advisor for Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA), and David French, Executive Vice President of Government Relations for the National Retail Federation. Both speakers covered the current state of affairs in the nation’s capital, as well as what attendees might expect during their legislative visits.

APRO members – including 15 new legislative fellows and five returning fellows – spent the rest of the day roaming all over Capitol Hill to meet with U.S. senators, representatives, and their legislative staffers. Seventeen teams worked – and walked – hard to fulfill 110 scheduled appointments within about six hours’ time. The day concluded with a group photo at the Capitol Building, followed by a Debrief Dinner.

The Debrief Dinner was held at Top of the Town, against a dramatic backdrop of stunning views of the National Mall and Potomac River. Aaron’s, LLC Senior Director of Corporate Affairs Michael Wall, Buddy’s Newco LLC dba Buddy’s Home Furnishings CEO and APRO President Michael Bennett, and APRO CEO Charles Smitherman each addressed the crowd, before turning the evening over to attendees who shared wholly positive stories of their day in D.C.

Alexandra Traficante shares her reflections from her day on the hill.

“Today was incredible,” said Impact RTO Holdings, dba Rent-A-Center Regional Manager and Legislative Fellow Alexandra Traficante. “Being in the field, we don’t always see the behind-the-scenes work that keeps us in business. It was really meaningful to be part of this.”

“A lot of us are competitors,” said SKC Enterprises Inc., dba Rent One President and APRO Board Treasurer Trent Agin. “But it’s so important what we do here. Whether you’re an independent, franchisee, or virtual RTO, we’re all here because we’re all in this together – and we’re telling the story of how we touch people’s lives through this industry.”

“It’s very important that we remember who we’re really serving – which is our customer,” noted Mike Strong Inc., dba Mike’s Rent-To-Own Owner Michael Strong. “If we’re not here to tell Congress what we do, there’s a risk we won’t be able to continue doing it.”

Among the event’s “record-setters” were Charlie Cooley, a Store Manager with RNR Kentucky, LLC dba RNR Tire Express, who logged a whopping 16,806 steps, and Gopal Reddy, CEO of Action Development Corporation dba Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership, and Howard Topping, Managing Director of Slumba, LLC, who both met with five different Congressional representatives during the day.

“It’s exciting to see continuing growth in attendance and legislative engagement each year at this important event,” Smitherman noted, “not only through our Legislative Fellows, who are paving the way for future advocacy, but also in industry veterans, who appreciate the crucial role the Legislative Conference plays in protecting and securing the future of our industry.”

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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.