Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

RNR Gives Deserving Dino-Fan Dad a Piece of Movie-Inspired Magic

RNR Father’s Day Giveaway winner Chris Festo (R), with friend “Rex” (L), is wowed by his new classic, customized replica of the original Jurassic Park Jeeps.

APRO member RNR Tire Express, in celebration of dads who love action-packed blockbusters everywhere, recently awarded a Jeep Wrangler outfitted to match the vehicles in the original Jurassic Park as RNR’s 2022 Father’s Day Giveaway.

Nominations for the event opened up in early May, with a total of more than 10,000 submissions sent from families nationwide, each sharing details of the commitments and sacrifices their dads make every day. This year’s prize was a classic 1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ Sahara, customized to replicate the original fictional park’s vehicles – complete with brand-new candy-apple-red fuel-forged wheels in Nitto Mud Grappler tires, a 4″ lift kit, and a custom Jurassic Park paint job.

The Jeep – definitely one-of-a-kind – went to an Archer, Florida father who is similarly distinctive. Chris Festo was selected as this year’s winner, thanks to the lovingly persuasive words of his wife, Heather.

“Chris is the best dad to his girls, and a huge Jurassic Park fan,” she said. “He has been collecting Jurassic Park memorabilia since the first time he read the book as a young teenager. He passed this love of Jurassic Park on to our oldest; before COVID, they’d proudly display their collection during the annual collectors’ day at our local museum.”

Together, Chris’ family and friends joined the RNR team at the company’s Leesburg, Florida location to surprise him with the dino-themed gift of a lifetime.

“The excitement surrounding this giveaway was palpable – not only for us at RNR, but also for the Festo family, who helped coordinate the surprise,” said RNR President Adam Sutton. “As a company that takes every opportunity to give back when and where we can, this was one of our most unusual such endeavors to date, hands down.”

“I was shaking,” Chris said. “Truly, it was a speechless moment for me. My only advice for all the other dads out there is to be nice to your wife, because she might do nice things for you in return – like win you a free and totally cool, unique car.”

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Mike Lewis

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.