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Senator Joni Ernst Tours Mason City’s Arona Corp.

Standing: Stanley Patterson, Shaun Buchite, Jason Kunz, Justin Kunz, Caleb Bassey; Sitting: Iowa State Senator Joni Ernst, Nicholas Stokes, Karrie Akbar, Mark Connelly, Brent Gregurek.
Iowa State Senator Joni Ernst stopped by Arona Corp., dba Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership in Mason City, Iowa during her 99 county tour this week. APRO past president and Arona Corp. owner Mark Connelly met Ernst at APRO’s 2017 Dave Egan Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. It was there that he had the opportunity to discuss the rent-to-own industry and its benefits to the U.S. economy with Senator Ernst in person. The initial meeting led to the senator’s decision to make the visit. “This is the first time a U.S. senator has visited any of our stores,” says Connelly. “We met with Senator Ernst back in February and asked her to come back and see us.” About a dozen Arona Corp. employees gave Ernst a tour of the Mason City showroom as they explained how they work with customers to help them afford everything from furniture to electronics to appliances. Ernst shared personal stories about her upbringing as well as political views on tax reform, specifically how residents lose considerable government assistance when they move up in the tax bracket ladder. “Instead of bumping up against a fiscal cliff and losing all governmental supports—there are a lot of families that rely on those—a better way would be to ease them up out of poverty rather than trapping them in poverty,” says Ernst. “We’ve got to do better for them.” Connelly and Arona Corp. co-owner Brent Gregurek agree with Ernst and tax reform, and hope to see some change to the code that impacts lower and middle-class Americans. Connelly and Gregurek appreciated Ernst’s humility and willingness to learn more about what Arona does for its customers. “We expected that she might just come and go but she visited for about two hours,” says Connelly. “She appreciates what we do for our customers and it was really just a great meeting overall.” Arona Corp.’s visit from U.S. Senator Ernst was recognized by local newspaper Globe Gazette. Click here to view the Globe Gazette story. To join us at APRO’s 2018 Legislative Conference, contact us at 800/204-2776, ext. 111, legcon@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 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.