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Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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  • Home
  • About
    • About APRO
    • APRO Committees
    • Board & Staff
    • Vendor Advisory Committee
    • State Associations & Leadership
  • Membership
    • Join APRO
    • Membership Benefits
    • Code of Ethics
    • Engagement Opportunities
    • Hall of Honor
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  • Advocacy
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  • Events
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  • Foundation
    • About the Foundation
    • RTO Employees Disaster Relief Fund
    • APRO Scholarship Fund
  • News
    • Industry News
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    • RTOHQ: The Magazine
    • APRO Today E-newsletter
    • Share Your Member News
  • Resources
    • RTO Legends Take the Mic
    • The RTO Show Podcast – Listen Here!
    • The RTO Insight Review Blog
    • The Rent-to-Own Revolution Book
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      • AI Resource Hub
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    • Rent-to-Own Industry Health Summary
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  • Home
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    • Board & Staff
    • Vendor Advisory Committee
    • State Associations & Leadership
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25 events found.

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Today
  • March 2023

  • Sat 25
    March 25, 2023 - March 28, 2023

    Nationwide PrimeTime! Education and Expo

    Gaylord Texan 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX, United States
  • April 2023

  • Wed 19
    April 19, 2023 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

    IRDA Legislative Day

    Springfield, IL
  • Sat 22
    April 22, 2023 - April 26, 2023

    High Point Furniture Market

  • Wed 26
    April 26, 2023 - April 28, 2023

    2023 APRO Legislative Conference

  • May 2023

  • Sat 13
    May 13, 2023 - May 18, 2023

    2023 TRIB Retreat

    Hotel Riu Palace Matapalo Beach, Costa Rica
  • Tue 23
    May 23, 2023 @ 9:00 am - May 25, 2023 @ 2:00 pm

    VersiRent User Conference

    Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway 2020 Convention Center Concourse, Atlanta, GA, United States
  • June 2023

  • Tue 13
    June 13, 2023 - June 15, 2023

    Missouri Rental Dealers Association Heartland of America Trade Show

    Lodge of the Four Seasons 315 Four Seasons Drive, Lake Ozark, Missouri

    The Heartland of America Regional Trade Show is ON! You are cordially invited to join the Missouri Rental Dealers Association (MRDA) on June 13-15 at the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, MO! The event brings area states together under one roof, celebrates the RTO industry, and continues the legacy of this terrific show! […]

  • Tue 27
    June 27, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Pennsylvania Association of Rental Dealers (PARD) Meeting

    Harrisburg Hilton Hotel One North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA, United States
  • July 2023

  • Fri 14
    July 14, 2023 - July 15, 2023

    Full-O-Pep Summer Meeting

  • Mon 17
    July 17, 2023 - July 18, 2023

    Florida Rental Dealers Association Annual Meeting and Buying Show

    The Westin Tampa Waterside 725 S Harbour Island Blvd, Tampa, FL, United States
  • August 2023

  • Tue 8
    August 8, 2023 - August 9, 2023

    Buddy’s Leadership Conference

  • Sun 13
    August 13, 2023 - August 16, 2023

    Nationwide PrimeTime! Education and Expo

    Music City Center 201 Rep. John Lewis Way South, Nashville, TN, United States
  • Mon 21
    August 21, 2023

    2023 The Premier Companies Franchisee Retreat

    San Antonio, TX
  • Tue 22
    August 22, 2023 - August 24, 2023

    RTO World 2023

    Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center 900 East Market St, San Antonio, TX, United States
  • September 2023

  • Tue 12
    September 12, 2023

    Iowa Nebraska Rental Dealers Association Annual Meeting

    Omaha La Vista Hotel and Conference Center 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, NE, United States
  • Tue 26
    September 26, 2023 - September 27, 2023

    2023 Midwest RTO Training Expo

    Belterra Casino Resort 777 Belterra Drive, Florence, IN, United States

    The 2023 Midwest RTO Training Expo will be held in Florence, Indiana on September 26 & 27, 2023.

  • October 2023

  • Sat 14
    October 14, 2023 - October 18, 2023

    High Point Furniture Market

    High Point, NC High Point, NC
  • Wed 25
    October 25, 2023 - October 26, 2023

    APRO Board of Directors Meeting

  • January 2024

  • Sat 13
    January 13, 2024 - January 14, 2024

    Premier 2024 National Convention

    Royal Palm South Beach Miami Beach, FL, United States
  • Thu 25
    January 25, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm

    Social Media Webinar

    Zoom Link

    Looking for a little inspiration for your social media in 2024? Join us and see what others are doing to jazz up their social media and learn a few hacks on making social media creation easier, too. This will be a fun, quick, and informative webinar designed to get your creative juices flowing!

  • Sun 28
    January 28, 2024 - February 1, 2024

    Las Vegas Winter Furniture Market 2024

    Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, NV, United States
  • February 2024

  • Mon 12
    February 12, 2024 - February 13, 2024

    FRDA Legislative Meeting

    Tallahassee, FL Tallahassee, FL, United States
  • Sat 17
    February 17, 2024 - February 19, 2024

    RNR Franchise Conference 2024

    Renaissance Marriott SeaWorld Orlando 6677 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL, United States
  • Thu 29
    February 29, 2024 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

    RTO Collections & Marketing Practices Webinar

    Zoom Link

    By popular demand, we're happy to provide this refresher webinar on safe collections and marketing practices on February 29 at 1:00 pm CST. Join Zachary Miller from Burr Forman and Michael Goodman from Hudson Cook as they share the latest and greatest on proper collections and ways to market and communicate with customers safely -- […]

  • March 2024

  • Sun 10
    March 10, 2024 - March 13, 2024

    Nationwide PrimeTime

    Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas, NV, United States
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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.