The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) Legislative Fellows program celebrated its second class at this year’s Legislative Conference, where 15 event newcomers – sponsored by state rental dealer associations and Ashley Furniture Industries, Benefit Marketing Solutions, Rivero, Gordimer & Company P.A., and Slumba, LLC – were mentored by industry veterans to become advocates for rent-to-own (RTO).
Shannon Silvia, General Manager in Titusville, Florida, for Buddy’s Newco LLC dba Buddy’s Home Furnishings, was among this year’s committed class of Fellows. Silvia started his professional life as an IT technician working on computers. Seeking escape from his cubicle, Silvia responded to a help-wanted sign and began his rent-to-own career as a delivery driver for Rent-A-Center.
“I immediately loved interacting with the customers,” Silvia says. “Being able to help customers acquire products they would never have been able to get without us was amazing to me. Over the past 22 years, I’ve evolved as a person in so many ways; I’m not the same person I was before. The things I’ve been able to do to help my community have been incredibly fulfilling for me.”
Silvia’s connection with his community and his industry inspired him to attend APRO’s Legislative Conference. He anticipated being mostly an observer at the event, but found it easier than expected to actively participate.
“Our interactions with congressional and staff members were much more conversational than a presentation,” says Silvia. “It was way more comfortable than I expected – everyone was extremely friendly and inviting, and showed genuine interest in what we were telling them.”
Silvia said the most memorable moment of the event for him occurred during a meeting with a staffer who had no prior knowledge of RTO.
“We explained not only what we do for our customers, but also what we do to give back to our communities,” Silvia says. “He then shared his own challenges with trying to help his mother get a washing machine, telling us he wished there was a rent-to-own resource close to her. For me, it just underscored that no matter where you are or where you’re from, the service we offer to our communities is of tremendous value.”
Silvia says he thoroughly enjoyed his Legislative Fellow experience, is looking forward to returning to LegCon, and urges his RTO colleagues to give it a try.
“All you have to do is be who you are,” says Silvia. “The legislators and staff members are just ordinary people interested in our story. There are people in our industry fighting every day for our livelihoods, and it’s essential for us to continue to educate people about what we do. Even though we’ve been around for a long, long time, many people still don’t fully understand what we do for our customers and communities, and how we’re changing lives.”
APRO Legislative Fellowship applications are opening soon – click here to learn more: https://www.rtohq.org/legislative-conference/fellowship-program.
