Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
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Building Momentum in Q3: RDA Achievements and the Road Ahead 

The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) recently hosted its Q3 Meetup for State Rental Dealer Association (RDA) Presidents, with 12 states represented, underscoring the growing strength and impact of our state associations over the past year. 

The Hidden Cost of Online Advertising: Fighting Ad Fraud 

The meetup launched with special guests, Esquire Advertising CEO and Founder Eric Grindley, along with Director of National Sales Adam Ball, who pulled back the curtain on one of the most pressing issues in digital marketing: internet fraud. Eric explained how ad fraud quietly drains budgets, skews results, and leaves advertisers chasing empty clicks. 

Fraud in digital advertising is staggering due to bots, crawlers, and the proliferation of fake social media accounts. According to Cloudflare, bots now account for about one-third of all internet traffic, with AI-driven crawlers growing more than 15% in just a single quarter. And on social media platforms, fake profiles inflate engagement numbers. Facebook estimates that 4–5% of its 3 billion users are fake – but Grindley notes the true number is likely much higher. The platforms themselves are not incentivized to fully police fraud because fake traffic still brings in revenue. 

Grindley offered helpful solutions to help combat advertising fraud, including: 

  • Recognize the warning signs: If an ad campaign shows high clicks but terrible conversion, it’s often a sign of bad traffic
  • Reset ad campaigns: Sometimes the only solution is to shut down and restart to escape a “bad traffic stream” 
  • Blacklist Made-For-Advertising (MFA) websites: When possible, upload exclusion lists to prevent ads from running on known fraudulent websites
  • Leverage trusted partners: Smaller businesses may struggle to manage fraud detection alone, so partnering with services that specialize in filtering out fraudulent traffic is critical

Grindley’s message is clear: advertisers must stay vigilant, informed, and proactive in protecting their campaigns. 

State Association Updates: Year In Review, Financials, Advocacy, and 2026 Planning 

Here are some highlights by the numbers reflecting the impressive energy and dedication of state RDAs: 

  • Quarterly Leadership MeetUps: Three state presidents meetups were held to share updates, build advocacy, and exchange ideas 
  • Robust Engagement: 16 of 22 state RDAs hosted an annual meeting or Legislative Day in 2025 
  • Legislative Conference Fellowship Growth: 10 RDAs pledged financial support for APRO’s Legislative Fellowship Program, with six presidents participating directly 
  • Lobbyist Collaboration: Nine state RDA lobbyists gathered for the first time ever to share RTO industry updates 
  • Updated Paperwork: Five states refreshed their RDA documents, with five more on deck in 2026 
  • Financial Growth: Seven RDAs opened investment accounts to continue supporting their work 

The leaders shared their plans for their 2026 state RDA events, to update APRO’s industry calendar and make scheduling easier for all APRO members. One notable event discussed was APRO’s Legislative Conference, also known as “LegCon,” scheduled for April 15-17, 2026. State RDAs were asked to share their support for the 2026 Legislative Fellowship Program, which started in 2024 with only 10 fellows, grew to 15 in 2025, and aims to reach 20 in 2026! The state RDAs play a pivotal role in achieving this goal by recruiting and selecting applicants and mentoring fellows during the Legislative Conference in D.C. Applications for Legislative Fellows will open in early November. 

Several housekeeping updates were shared with the presidents, including the timing of quarterly financials and annual invoices. In addition, the presidents were encouraged to consider reviewing their current state dues rates to confirm pricing for 2026. Finally, state association leaders were asked to continue working with APRO to build out their state RDA webpages, making it easier for members to access board information, articles, events, and charitable foundation resources. 

Thank you to our state leaders for your dedication, energy, and vision – your work keeps our industry strong and paves the way for a great year ahead. 

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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.