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Tennessee Rental Dealers Honor RTO Trio At Membership Meeting

During a private tour led by Senator Bill Powers (far R), TRDA participants (L to R) Kevin Silvers, Chris Bolin, and Ray McDowell step into the Tennessee Senate Chamber for a memorable moment inside the historic State Capitol.

The Tennessee Rental Dealers Association (TRDA) recently held its annual membership meeting in Nashville, Tennessee – a single-day event chock full of elections, special guests, vendor presentations, and awards for three outstanding rent-to-own industry veterans.

The total 40 attendees included special guests John Cleek, Jr. – President of the Missouri Rental Dealers Association – and his wife, Heather, Tennessee State Senator Bill Powers, TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shields, and APRO CEO Charles Smitherman.

The event had an unofficial launch the evening before, with a cocktail reception followed by dinner and a night on the town in Music City. The next morning, TRDA President Chris Bolin of Bolin Rental Purchase kicked off the official member meeting with opening remarks, followed by the re-election of all TRDA Board of Directors members to new three-year terms:

  • President – Chris Bolin
  • Vice President – Carl Coble of Hogan Coble LLC dba The RentPros
  • Secretary/Treasurer – Ray McDowell of Advanced Rent To Own
  • Board Member – Trent Agin of SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One
  • Board Member – Carl Elgin of Full-O-Pep Appliances Inc. dba American Rental

(L to R) Michael Wall, James MacAlpine, Dennis Shields, James Woollums, Carl Coble, Leonard Alonzo, and Mike Senior enjoy networking at dinner.
John and Heather Cleek celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary with their RTO colleagues at the TRDA member meeting dinner.
(L to R) Kevin Silvers of King of Promotions joins Lara Cox, Anthony DeGregory, and Marcus Marter of WOW Brands for cocktails.

Smitherman spoke to participants about the importance of advocacy in the RTO industry, not only at big events like the APRO Legislative Conference or state legislative days, but also every day as they run their businesses.

“Advocacy is something we think about in everything we do at APRO to promote this industry, from our publications to our educational opportunities to best practices,” said Smitherman.

Following informational presentations by attending vendors, Senator Powers talked to the crowd about the Tennessee General Assembly’s future, which is looking bright for business. The senator then led the group on a private tour of the House and Senate office buildings and the Tennessee State Capitol, one of America’s oldest operating state capitol buildings at 166 years old and counting.

Another high point of the day was the presentation of the TRDA President’s Award for Excellence to two remarkable rent-to-own professionals: Dennis Shields, who has served the industry for 40 years with TRIB Group, and APRO Director of Finance Tulisha Wendele, who has worked with the association for 34 years.

“Tulisha is an incredible worker and one of the sharpest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” Bolin said. “Her communication skills, deep knowledge, and continuing commitment help keep both APRO and TRDA going strong.”

The TRDA Board of Directors – (L to R) Carl Coble, Ray McDowell, Carl Elgin, and Trent Agin – surprise President Bolin (c) with an award.
Dennis Shields (L) receives the TRDA President’s Award for Excellence from the President himself, Chris Bolin (R).
Charles Smitherman presents Tulisha Wendele with the TRDA President’s Award for Excellence in Austin, Texas, after she accepted the honor virtually during the TRDA meeting.

Bolin himself received a surprise recognition as his board of directors presented him with the TRDA Leadership Award for his many years of service and dedication to the state organization – his re-election at the event will bring his years as TRDA President to a full two decades.

“We’re fortunate to have top-tier RTO industry leadership here in Tennessee,” said McDowell. “For more than 17 years, Chris Bolin has faithfully and consistently served as President of the TRDA, and because of his efforts, it is a valuable asset to its members and supporting vendors.”

We want to send a special thanks to all the rent-to-own vendors who supported TRDA by participating in the annual meeting:

  • Albany Furniture
  • Ashley Furniture Industries
  • Atlog
  • Benefit Marketing Solutions
  • Climatic Home Products
  • Creditor Law Center
  • JLR America LLC
  • King of Promotions
  • L2 Corporation
  • Nav-Air Corporation
  • Simmons Furniture
  • TRIB Group
  • VNAS Risk, Inc.
  • Whirlpool Corporation
  • WOW Brands

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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.