Association of Professional Rental Organizations (APRO)
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MRDA Shows Commitment to Communities

All American Rental Owner (and MRDA President) Scott Mitchell (L) and COO Macy Mitchell (R) present a check to Convoy of Hope Volunteer Coordinator Bethany Burrows in Springfield, Missouri.

Missouri is the Show-Me State, and during the holidays, the rent-to-own industry showed generosity and commitment to the communities in which it operates.

The Missouri Rental Dealers Associationโ€™s annual Give Back event happened statewide, benefiting five worthy charities: the Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri (Columbia), Convoy of Hope (Springfield), The USO (St. Louis), Harvesters (Kansas City), and Toys for Tots (Doniphan). Each organization received a $1,000 donation, and MRDA member employees worked volunteer shifts for their local organizations.

โ€œThe cities we do business in throughout the state have done a lot to support us, so  we feel itโ€™s only right to support the areas where we live and work in some way,โ€ says Scott Mitchell, MRDA President and Owner of All American Rental Inc. โ€œWhat better way to do that than to help those in need?โ€

All American Rental employees worked with the Republic Chamber of Commerce to fill 2,000 grocery bags in the Springfield, Missouri, area. In Columbia, Missouri, employees from Cleekโ€™s Home Furnishings/Rentals and Sales and SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One sorted and loaded food for distribution to families facing food insecurity. The $1,000 donation funded approximately 4,000 meals.

John Cleek Jr., Owner of Cleekโ€™s and past MRDA president, says his parents โ€“ including the late John โ€œTigerโ€ Cleek Sr., who served as both MRDA and APRO President โ€“ instilled the value of volunteerism and philanthropy in him.

Cleek’s Inc. and Rent One donate to The Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.

โ€œI think itโ€™s important for businesses to give back to the communities that support them,โ€ Cleek says. โ€œWeโ€™re all in this together, and we owe it to each community to try and improve other peopleโ€™s lives. Service projects give us an opportunity to come together for great causes; we encourage all MRDA members to get involved and support the organizations that benefit so many of our customers.โ€

The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) is Americaโ€™s only national trade association for the rental-purchase industry. Our mission is to provide valuable member benefits, maintain a benevolent business climate, and promote professionalism with responsibility and integrity throughout our industry. For more information, reach out to APRO at info@rtohq.org.

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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 companyโ€™s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life โ€“ 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.ย 

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 PTSโ€™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 Studiesย 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 APROโ€™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 worldโ€™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, Mikeโ€™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 Presidentโ€™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.ย