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Upbound Continues Support of Hire Heroes USA and Other Veterans Assistance Groups

(Left to Right) Hire Heroes USA Lead Corporate Partnership Manager Jamie Rimphanli accepts a check from Upbound’s EVP – General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Bryan Pechersky, SVP – Enterprise Business Operations Tiffany Wall, and CEO Fahmi Karam.

Upbound Group, Inc., a longstanding member of APRO and the parent company of lease-to-own brands Rent-A-Center and Acima Leasing, recently donated $125,000 to Hire Heroes USA, an organization that helps transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses find employment. Upbound ties its charitable giving to its mission of empowering families to thrive, including its continuing support of veterans’ affairs causes.

Over the last three years, the company has donated a total of $450,000 to Hire Heroes USA, which has directly impacted employment programs and one-on-one personalized services for 450 veterans and military spouses seeking meaningful employment. In honor of Military Appreciation Month in May, Upbound was Hire Heroes USA’s official matching partner – doubling every donation up to $25,000 – and for the past two years sponsored the organization’s Client of the Year award at its annual Empowerment Gala in Atlanta.

Upbound coworkers have also volunteered to conduct mock interviews with service members to help enhance their interview techniques. Upbound plans to continue to partner with Hire Heroes USA in the future.

Principal of Community Relations Nikki Carter (third from left) joined Veterans CRG members (in blue shirts from L to R) David Crites, Oseas Collazo, Fred Cole and Adam Vass in partnering with American Red Cross representative Jennifer Mauro (in red shirt) at the Veterans Stand Down event in mid-October at the Dallas VA Medical Center.

Additionally, Upbound shows support for veterans through its Veterans Coworker Resource Group (CRG) at the company’s Field Support Center in Plano, Texas. The group promotes and advocates for veterans’ issues and is open to all coworkers.

Past Veterans CRG initiatives include volunteering at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center and hosting internal fundraisers to collect donations for Operation Once in a Lifetime, a nonprofit organization providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences and emergency financial assistance to service members and their families.

“Empowering veterans is a core part of our corporate responsibility program, which is rooted in creating opportunities, fostering inclusion, and building stronger communities,” said Upbound Executive Vice President – General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Bryan Pechersky, who is also an APRO board member and the executive sponsor of Upbound’s Veterans CRG. “It also strengthens our teams, enriches our culture, and builds a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

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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.