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Aaron’s Foundation, Inc. Supports Boys & Girls Clubs Teen Leadership Program with New $20,000 Grant

Twenty Boys & Girls Clubs across the country will launch a newly chartered Keystone Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) premier teen character and social action program, thanks to start-up grants from Aaron’s Foundation, Inc. The Keystone Club program is a teen-driven program designed to inspire service and leadership for members ages 14 to 18. This unique leadership development experience provides opportunities for youth to participate in activities in four focus areas: community service, academic success, career preparation and teen outreach. Teens from around the country at Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Keystone Conference in Dallas, TX. “It’s important to create a supportive and inspiring community for our teens, and the Keystone program in Clubs throughout the country does just that,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of BGCA. “By empowering teens through social action projects, we can help them reach their full potential as productive and caring citizens. We are grateful to have a like-minded partner in Aaron’s to help us reach this goal enabling all of our Club teens to achieve a great future.” The grant comes with a Keystone Program guide, a Race to the Club guide to assist in Teen Outreach efforts, a National Project Kit and chartering information to assist Clubs looking to create, build and strengthen their Keystone programs. Each of the following Clubs will receive the $1,000 grant from Aaron’s Foundation, Inc.:
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake Eufaula Chattahoochee Courts, Eufaula, Ala.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia Southwood Club, Charlottesville, Va.
  • West Contra Costa Salesian Boys & Girls Club, Richmond, Calif.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford West Middle Community School, Hartford, Conn.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Jackson County Jefferson Unit, Jefferson, Ga.
  • MCAS Yuma Youth Center MCAS, Yuma, Ariz.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Woonsocket, Woonsocket, R.I.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Troy, Troy, Mich.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast Northside Club, Largo, Fla.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Truckee Meadows Libby Booth Elementary, Reno, Nev.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming Greater Casper, Casper, Wyo.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland & Macomb Counties Ferndale Unit, Royal Oak, Mich.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley Lapwai Unit, Lewiston, Idaho
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County Goldsboro Unit, Goldsboro, N.C.
  • Community Boys & Girls Club Samuel J. Howie Teen Center, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of the Foothills Mary Wilcox Teen Center, Monrovia, Calif.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Buena Park, Buena Park, Calif.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Hot Springs, Hot Springs, Ark.
  • The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oklahoma Shawnee, Shawnee, Okla.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Coffee County Douglas Unit, Douglas, Ga.
“As sponsor of the Keystone Club program, we’ve seen how much potential teens have to make a difference in the lives of their peers, community members, and themselves,” said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron’s. “With 2016 designated as the Year of the Teen for Boys & Girls Clubs, we are proud to offer 20 new start-up grants to foster teen leadership at Clubs across the country.” Aaron’s Foundation, Inc. is also a sponsor of the National Keystone Conference, which brings teens together from around the globe to tackle youth issues head-on. This year, nearly 2,300 teen and Club staff attended from 157 cities and five countries attended, making this one of the largest youth leadership conferences in the U.S. The partnership extends beyond financial support. The Aaron’s team brings its expertise as a lease-to-own retailer specializing in furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, by renovating Boys & Girls Clubs teen centers across the U.S. Aaron’s associates recently volunteered their time in Jackson, Miss. to paint, decorate and furnish the Club’s computer lab, theater and entertainment room and their program space. In 2015, Aaron’s Foundation, Inc. announced a three-year, $5 million commitment to the Keystone Club program. About Aaron’s, Inc. Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) is a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, and currently has more than 2,000 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada. Progressive Leasing, a leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 17,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc. (DAMI), d/b/a the HELPcard®, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through a federally insured bank. Aaron’s was founded in 1955, has been publicly traded since 1982 and owns the Aarons.com, ShopHomeSmart.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com brands. For more information, visit www.aarons.com. To learn more about Aaron’s Foundation, Inc., please visit www.AaronsGives.com. About Boys & Girls Clubs of America For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has changed and saved lives, enabling young people to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve some 4 million children and teens through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in neighborhoods throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing a wide variety of youth development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Key programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

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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.