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Aaron’s Invests $40k in Alabama Teen Center Refresh 

A large group of company and nonprofit leaders – with Aaron’s mascot Lucky Dog at the center – stand together smiling and holding up a giant $10k check from Aaron’s to the organization.
Aaron’s leaders – including mascot Lucky Dog – proudly present representatives from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama with a $10,000 grant to support youth programs. 

Aaron’s, LLC, with help from APRO colleague Ashley Furniture Industries, recently completed a teen-center refresh for Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama – a record-breaking investment that included almost $30,000 worth of new furnishings and technology, as well as a $10k grant, to the Tom and Gean Cleckler Teen Center in Hueytown, Alabama. 

This was Aaron’s 70th Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) refresh since 2015, part of the company’s $13.5-million commitment to BGCA. The national youth-development organization offers safe places and engaging programs for young people to learn and grow during crucial out-of-school hours. Aaron’s provides both funding and volunteers to complete Teen Center refreshes around the country, including new furniture, electronics, and décor for each location. 

Each Club’s teens help select new items to make the space their own, and makeovers are installed by local Aaron’s associates and revealed as a surprise for the youth. The Cleckler Center was transformed in under 24 hours and created a learning lounge, tech lab, and game room, complete with comfy furnishings, new laptops, smart televisions, gaming consoles, arcade games, and more. 

An Aaron’s associate concentrates on his tools as he assembles part of an arcade-style basketball game, which can be seen behind him.
A local Aaron’s team member puts together arcade-style basketball games for the teen members of the Tom and Gean Cleckler Teen Center in Hueytown, Alabama. 
The Lucky Dog mascot and Zane Smith play air hockey at opposite ends of the table as Club members and others watch the match.
Aaron’s NASCAR mascot Lucky Dog (L) and NASCAR driver Zane Smith (R) battle it out on the new air-hockey table at the Tom and Gean Cleckler Teen Center. 
Two big blue sofas and two velvet stools face a big-screen TV with the Aaron’s logo, flanked by two Aaron’s banners.
The new learning lounge at the Hueytown, Alabama, Teen Center welcomes Club members with new furnishings and a smart TV, thanks to Aaron’s and Ashley Furniture. 

“These teens shared with us the vision they had to improve their current teen center, and our team brought that vision to life,” said Aaron’s CEO Cory Miller. “This center was larger than many of the teen spaces we refresh, so gave us a special opportunity to invite Ashley Furniture and Hewlett-Packard to join us and generously donate furniture and technology to the project. It was a true team effort.” 

group of teenagers, Aaron’s Lucky Dog mascot, and NASCAR driver Zane Smith stand smiling by the Talladega Superspeedway racetrack with a crowd in the grandstand behind them.
Twenty selected teens from the Hueytown, Alabama, Boys & Girls Club are treated by Aaron’s and Front Row Motorsports to a VIP NASCAR experience at the Talladega Superspeedway, with Aaron’s Lucky Dog mascot (in blue jumpsuit) and driver Zane Smith (in white jumpsuit) helping host. 

NASCAR Gives Teens Special Speedway Experience 

The Cleckler Center teens were doubly surprised by a visit from NASCAR driver Zane Smith and his #38 Aaron’s racecar. Aaron’s and Front Row Motorsports invited 20 of the Club members to attend the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway as VIPs, including a pre-race pit visit, a hauler tour, and some sweet suite seats. The teens also participated in a motor sports careers panel featuring NASCAR Vice President of Partnership Marketing Alma Angeles and Front Row Motorsports Director of New Business Jeff Dennison. 

“Teens who stay active with our Clubs consistently have better outcomes than their peers, and this refreshed space gives us an opportunity to engage more young people than ever,” said Scott Tucker, Co-CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama. “We can’t wait for our current members to spread the word and turn this Club into a true destination for the community.” 

Several teenagers face video arcade machines, immersed in their game-playing.
Teen members of the Hueytown, Alabama, Boys & Girls Club enjoy brand-new arcade games as part of the Aaron’s Teen Center refresh. 
A large group of Aaron’s and Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama representatives, along with company mascot Lucky Dog and teen members of the Club, stand smiling in front of the Tom and Gean Cleckler Teen Center and behind a white racecar. Driver Zane Smith stands alongside the car, also smiling.
NASCAR driver Zane Smith (R by car in black shirt) visits the Tom and Gean Cleckler Teen Center with his racecar, #38. 
A line of teenagers sitting and busily engaged at laptops.
Club members of the Tom and Gean Cleckler Teen Center explore the capabilities of new laptops, provided by Hewlett-Packard through the Aaron’s refresh project. 

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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.