Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

2025 IRDA Legislative Day

The Illinois Rental Dealers Association (IRDA) will be hosting a Legislative Day on April 29, 2025. For more information, please contact Kelly Martin.

2025 TRIB Retreat

Royalton Saint Lucia Resort Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

The next TRIB Retreat will be an amazing, all-inclusive Royalton Resort in amazing St. Lucia from May 3-8, 2025. With its breathtaking beauty, mountainous terrain, and small luxurious resorts, St. Lucia is a lush, verdant island with an under-the-radar reputation. Nestled on the northern tip of one of the most picturesque Caribbean islands, the Royalton […]

LEAP Session 4: Good to Great in RTO

LEAP Program

Welcome to LEAP, an exciting new leadership development program brought to you by APRO and TRIB Group. LEAP is designed to cultivate leadership skills within the RTO industry. Each month, we’ll explore a new leadership topic through live Zoom sessions or in-person at Meeting of the Minds and RTO World. This program is open to both current and aspiring […]

2025 Florida Rental Dealers Association (FRDA) Annual Meeting

Hotel Haya 1412 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL, United States

We invite you to join fellow Florida rental dealers for some great networking and big ideas! Join us on May 14 & 15, 2025 at the Hotel Haya for a welcome social, vendor show, and annual meeting! Get ready for an exciting meeting with new ideas, vendor presentations, and a chance to reconnect with colleagues! […]

2025 VersiRent User Conference

Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport North International Parkway, Dallas, Texas, United States

The VersiRent User Conference enables attendees to gain firsthand knowledge and experience working with the many features VersiRent currently offers. They also will learn about new features that will soon be available. These conferences are specifically designed for those who work with VersiRent on a daily basis - dealers and their key personnel.

2025 Heartland of America Regional Tradeshow & Seminar

Lake Ozark, Missouri Lake Ozark, MO, United States

The annual Heartland of America Tradeshow and Seminar, hosted by the Missouri Rental Dealers Association (MRDA), brings together rent-to-own professionals from across the region for a day of networking, educational seminars, and industry insights. Attendees enjoy a tradeshow featuring key vendors and a variety of sessions designed to enhance business growth and collaboration within the […]

LEAP Session 5: Humble, Hungry, and (People) Smart

LEAP Program

Welcome to LEAP, an exciting new leadership development program brought to you by APRO and TRIB Group. LEAP is designed to cultivate leadership skills within the RTO industry. Each month, we’ll explore a new leadership topic through live Zoom sessions or in-person at Meeting of the Minds and RTO World. This program is open to both current and aspiring […]

2025 Legal Town Hall: Your Legal Questions Answered Webinar

APRO Webinar

Speaker: Justin Hosie & Dailey Wilson, Hudson Cook LLP Don’t miss this live, interactive Legal Town Hall where our legal experts – Justin Hosie & Dailey Wilson – will address your pressing questions about the rent-to-own (RTO) industry. From navigating complex compliance issues to managing contracts and minimizing risk, this session offers practical, real-world insights […]

2025 Pennsylvania Association of Rental Dealers (PARD) Annual Meeting

Harrisburg Hilton Hotel One North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, United States

Date: June 18, 2025 Location: Harrisburg Hilton Hotel | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania PARD will host its annual meeting on June 18, 2025, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel. The meeting will feature guest speakers, PARD elections, and lots of networking. If you’re interested in attending, please email Sandi Frye. To book your […]

LEAP Session 6: Be the Pilot. It’s Your Plane.

LEAP Program

Welcome to LEAP, an exciting new leadership development program brought to you by APRO and TRIB Group. LEAP is designed to cultivate leadership skills within the RTO industry. Each month, we’ll explore a new leadership topic through live Zoom sessions or in-person at Meeting of the Minds and RTO World. This program is open to both current and aspiring […]

2025 Full-O-Pep Expo & Company Picnic

Nashville, Indiana Nashville, IN, United States

The Full-O-Pep Annual Expo brings together store managers, vendors, and employees for a weekend of networking, team-building, and celebration. Held in Nashville, Indiana, the event features an expo, as well as a company-wide picnic and hog roast with activities like hot-air balloon rides, go-kart rides, and live music. The expo fosters a fun, engaging atmosphere […]

2025 Tennessee Rental Dealers Association (TRDA) Annual Meeting

Courtyard Marriott Nashville Downtown 170 4th Avenue North, Nashville, TN, United States

TRDA would like to invite you to attend our 2025 annual Membership Meeting, July 23-24, 2025, at the Courtyard Marriot Nashville Downtown. This meeting should be fun, informative, and well attended. Attendees can arrive Wednesday afternoon at the Courtyard Hotel, gather in Gannon’s around 5:00 PM, and then walk to a special group dinner around 6:30 PM. Afterwards, […]

2025 Las Vegas Summer Market

Las Vegas Furniture Market 475 S. Grand Central Pkwy, Suite 1615, Las Vegas, NV, United States

Las Vegas Market is the premier furniture, home decor, and gift trade show on the West Coast, hosted at the World Market Center in Las Vegas. The event offers an extensive range of products from global exhibitors and provides industry professionals with opportunities to network, explore new trends, and discover the latest innovations in the […]

2025 AVB BrandSource Convention

The Venetian 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, United States

The AVB BrandSource Annual Convention is a premier event for appliance, electronics, and home furnishings retailers. It offers valuable networking, educational sessions, product showcases, and innovative retail solutions to help businesses thrive. The convention brings together industry leaders and provides tools to drive growth and success in the competitive retail landscape.

2025 RTO World

Omaha CHI Health Center - Convention Center North 10th Street, Omaha, NE, United States

Get ready for the ultimate rent-to-own experience at RTO World 2025, co-hosted by APRO and TRIB Group! From August 11-14, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska, this is your chance to join the biggest event of the year. Connect with industry leaders, explore new opportunities, and be part of the excitement. Our teams are crafting an unforgettable […]

2025 Nationwide PrimeTime – Fall

Music City Center 201 Rep. John Lewis Way South, Nashville, TN, United States

Hosted for over 30 years and more than 60 events, PrimeTime, Nationwide Marketing Group's biannual Member conference and tradeshow, is an event for Independent retailers looking to improve their results quickly. Featuring more than 85 hours of forward-thinking education, millions in Cash Back for product purchases at the show, networking and roundtables with peers from […]

2025 Buddy’s Leadership Conference

Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando Resort 6300 Hollywood Way, Orlando, FL, United States

The annual Buddy’s Leadership Conference is a premier gathering where leaders from across the Buddy’s Home Furnishings network come together to share insights, collaborate, and explore new ways to make Buddy’s better. This dynamic event fosters innovation, strengthens leadership, and drives business growth through engaging discussions and strategic initiatives. Hosted at the beautiful Loews Royal […]

2025 Midwest Expo

Cherry Valley Resort 2299 Cherry Valley Rd SE, Newark, OH, United States

The 2025 Midwest RTO Training Expo, hosted by the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, is a long-standing RTO event where employees receive top-shelf training on cutting-edge products directly from the vendors and manufacturers. We are back and ready to train and network at one of the best regional RTO tradeshows in America! Join us on September […]

3rd Annual Best of RTO World 2025 Webinar

APRO Webinar

Back by popular demand, here’s your chance to catch all the hottest sessions from RTO World 2025! You’ll get knowledge drops from all the most popular sessions and experience a knowledge flashback like no other. Get pumped and get registered for this new and beloved tradition! Please join us on Thursday, September 18, 2025, from […]

2025 National Shed Rental Association Annual Conference

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville, TN, United States

Join the National Shed Rental Association for another year of getting together to encourage each other in the shed rent-to-own industry! The 2025 NSRA Conference will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee on September 23, 2025. The NSRA Conference is a stand-alone event, and will take place the day before the Shed Builder Expo. Click here […]

2025 Impact RTO Optimize Together Conference

St. Petersburg Marriot Clearwater 12600 Roosevelt Blvd N, St. Petersburg, FL, United States

Impact RTO Holdings is celebrating a decade of growth and success with their first-ever all-company conference. The event will bring together store managers, regional leaders, and the home office team for a program focused on education, connection, and celebration. Highlights include a welcome dinner and awards ceremony, breakout sessions, and a special dinner cruise. Tuesday, […]

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.