Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

APRO Scholarship Star: Ethan Levy

APRO Scholarship recipient Ethan Levy.

APRO Scholarship applications are now open! For more than 15 years, the APRO Charitable Foundation has annually provided scholarships to rent-to-own professionals and their families. APRO members have contributed generously to the APRO Scholarship Fund – awarding 522 scholarships totaling $1,180,250 to date – empowering students connected with RTO to pursue college degrees, technical credentials, and successful futures.

Ethan Levy of Aylett, Virginia – one of the 39 deserving 2024 APRO Scholarship recipients – is using his scholarship to fulfill a longtime dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

“I’ve always loved driving – from electric toys to tractors to dirt bikes – and wanted driving to be a part of my career,” says Ethan. “I flew for the first time during a family trip to Arizona when I was ten, and fell in love with flight. I have dreamed of being a pilot ever since.”

Ethan is currently training at Williamsburg Flight Center, a Part 61 flight school offering a flexible approach to obtaining pilot certificates and ratings. Part 61 schools let students progress at their own pace and tailor their training to their individual needs. Ethan plans to complete all his training within the next two years and achieve his commercial pilot rating.

One reason Ethan attends a self-led flight school is because he has to work to afford his training.

“My sister is at the University of Virginia, and we both struggle to pay for our education,” Ethan says. “My parents both came from low-income homes – my mother was from a farming family, and my father is the son of an Israeli immigrant, so college was never really an option for them. They’ve made many sacrifices for us along the way, but they just don’t have a lot of extra money to help us pay for college.”

Ethan and his dad, Josh, on vacation in the Bahamas.

Ethan fits his pilot training coursework around his full-time job as a Shop Manager at RNR of Virginia LLC dba RNR Tire Express – the same company his dad, Joshua Levy, has been with for the past 15 years. Joshua began with RNR in 2010 as a Store Manager, won Salesman of the Year for five consecutive years, and was promoted to District Manager in 2015.

“In many ways, my dad has grown up with rent-to-own,” says Ethan. “The RTO industry has put food on the table for my family almost my whole life, and has helped my dad grow personally as well. He’s gone from a young man to an adult with RNR, developing excellence in customer service, sales, multitasking, managerial tasks, and leadership. My dad gets to provide for his family while doing what he loves; he wouldn’t be the man he is without the opportunity to work in rent-to-own.”

Ethan is grateful for RTO – for his father’s provision and growth, his own income, and the APRO Scholarship helping him move forward toward his ultimate goal of becoming a flight professional.

“Being a professional pilot will guarantee me a stable career with benefits and advancement opportunities,” Ethan says. “I want to avoid long-term financial hardship, and make enough money to pay for my future children’s college educations – I want to save them that struggle if I can. I’m working very hard to begin my dream job as a pilot as soon as I can, and rent-to-own is definitely supporting me in that endeavor. No matter what, I will achieve my dream.”

APRO Scholarship applications are open through April 25, 2025 – just click here to apply.

Ethan’s is one of the dozens of positive stories that generous donations from the RTO community make happen each year. Click here to learn more and contribute to this invaluable industry effort.

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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.