Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
JOIN APRO
JOIN APRO

APRO Scholarship Deadline: Friday!

Deadline for the 2016 APRO Scholarship entries is Friday, June 10th. Scholarship applications include those from the TRIB group, the Florida Rental Dealers Association (FRDA), the Tennessee Rental Dealers Association (TRDA) and APRO. school scholarship application form and books Completed applications must be received in the APRO office at 1504 Robin Hood Trail, Austin, TX 78703 by 5 p.m. Central on June 10th. Students can also fax them to Richard May at 512-794-0097 or e-mailed to RMay@RTOHQ.org. APRO, TRIB, FRDA and TRDA member employees or their children are eligible for the scholarships. Judging for the scholarships will be during the last two weeks in June and winners notified thereafter.

Criteria and Submission Requirements

  • Must be an employee or child of an APRO member company in good standing.
  • Must submit proof of a 3.0 or better, cumulative GPA from your high school or college.
  • Must submit proof that you have been accepted into an accredited college.
  • Must submit a narrative on why you deserve the scholarship.*
  • Must submit a narrative on the value of rent-to-own in America.**
*The narrative must be titled with your name and page number on every page of your narrative. The narrative must be a minimum of one full page (400 words minimum). Applications will be disqualified if these requirements are not met. Please refer to the “Priorities for APRO Scholarship Award” to understand how the judges will be determining their scores. **The narrative must be titled with your name and page number on every page of your narrative. The narrative must be a minimum of one full page (400 words minimum). Applications will be disqualified if these requirements are not met. This narrative must be original. If judges determine that any part was copied from a website or other document i.e. plagiarized, the application will be disqualified. Scholarship winners will be awarded one-half of their scholarship immediately and the remaining half at the end of the semester after proof of completing the semester with a 3.0 GPA or better. Click here for further details.

Upcoming Events

View Calendar



Popular Resources

Sign up for APRO Today

Copyright © · All Rights Reserved · APRO Privacy Policy · APRO Antitrust Policy

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Copyright © · All Rights Reserved · APRO Privacy Policy
Facebook Twitter Youtube Flickr

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.