Association of Professional Rental Organizations (APRO)
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Iowa-Nebraska Annual Meeting Hits Double-Digit Milestone 

A group of businesspeople sit around a long, u-shaped table, looking at and listening to a man wearing a bright blue polo shirt and presenting at the front of the room.
INRDA members gathered in Johnston, Iowa, in late September for the group’s tenth Annual Meeting. 

The Iowa-Nebraska Rental Dealer Association (INRDA) celebrated its tenth Annual Meeting in late September in Johnston, Iowa, engaging members with a full agenda.  

Attendees enjoyed a morning of informative presentations, including legislative updates from Doug Struyk of Carney & Appleby, PLC, who represents INRDA in Iowa, and Kristen Hassebrook of Mueller Robak, LLC, who represents the organization in Nebraska. 

Participants also heard from meeting sponsors Doug Funk of High Touch Technologies, Brock Gann of Benefit Marketing Solutions, Ryan Krass of wowbrands, Danelle Langeneckert of O’Rourke Sales Company, and Dennis Shields of TRIB Group. 

Leadership Steady as Elections Approach 

Additionally, the half-day program included INRDA’s annual business meeting, the election of its Board of Directors and Officers, and an open forum and discussion. 

The Board and its Officers remained the same – with Mike Vorhees of Ace Furniture & TV Inc. dba Ace Rent-To-Own as President, Davey Richardson of Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials as Vice President, and Josh Luksetich of First State Financial Corporation as Secretary/Treasurer. The membership agreed the President and Vice President should co-manage both the INRDA Spring Board Meeting and autumnal Annual Meeting beginning next year. 

The open discussion focused on the upcoming elections, with INRDA leadership urging members to contribute what they can to elected-official campaigns, meet local candidates, and become a resource for lawmakers on financial issues. 

A bearded man wearing a grey polo shirt gestures while speaking behind a wooden podium and in front of a screen with statistical images that reads “Customers are using RTO more and more.”
wowbrands CEO Ryan Krass shares good rent-to-own news with his colleagues at the 2026 INRDA Annual Meeting. 
A white-haired man wearing a bright blue half-zip shirt speaks while standing behind a wooden podium and in front of a screen outlining the five facets of “SMART” goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based.
TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shields outlines the SMART goals concept to other RTO pros during the INRDA Annual Meeting. 
A blonde woman wearing a red dress speaks behind a wooden podium and in front of a screen with statistics about appliances on it.
O’Rourke Sales Company Director of Sales Danelle Langeneckert presents on industry trends and forecasts to INRDA members. 

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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.