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2025 APRO Fall Board Meeting

Hilton West Palm Beach 600 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL, United States

This event is all day starting on October 22 and ending on October 23, 2025.

2025 Highpoint Furniture Market – Fall

High Point Market Authority 164 South Main Street, Suite 700, High Point, NC, United States

High Point Market is the ultimate destination for all things design, offering endless product options and unexpected moments of joy. It’s not just about products, but also about the experience, […]

2026 Premier Companies National Convention

Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa 555 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX, United States

We’re excited to invite you back to The Premier Companies' Annual Convention, and to a new venue, in San Antonio on January 10-11! It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase your […]

2026 RNR Franchise Conference

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort 1001 W Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL, United States

The 2026 RNR Franchise Conference will be held in Orlando, FL at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort. Owners, Operators, Executive Team Members, and Managers will gather to share ideas, participate […]

2026 TRIB Group Meeting of the Minds

Paris Las Vegas 3655 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, United States

Meeting of the Minds brings together nearly 100 of the largest Rent to Own Industry manufacturers & distributors along with hundreds of independent and franchisee store owners and operators for […]

2026 AVB BrandSource Summit

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville, TN, United States

The AVB BrandSource Annual Summit is a key event for appliance, electronics, and home furnishings retailers, featuring insightful presentations, expert-led sessions, networking opportunities, and vendor expos. It helps industry professionals […]

2026 Nationwide PrimeTime – Spring

Broward County Convention Center 1950 Eisenhower Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 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 […]

2026 APRO Legislative Conference

The Royal Sonesta Washington 20 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, United States

Each spring, APRO members from across the country head to Washington, D.C., to share the rent-to-own story with federal lawmakers during the APRO Legislative Conference. This three-day experience brings together […]

2026 Rent One & RNR Midwest Annual Meeting

Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina 1881 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States

This event is all day starting on April 17 and ending on April 19, 2026.

2026 Highpoint Furniture Market – Spring

High Point Market Authority 164 South Main Street, Suite 700, High Point, NC, United States

High Point Market is the ultimate destination for all things design, offering endless product options and unexpected moments of joy. It’s not just about products, but also about the experience, […]

2026 Heartland of America Regional Tradeshow

The Lodge of Four Seasons 315 Four Seasons Drive, 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 […]

2026 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 […]

2026 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 […]

2026 RTO World

Palm Beach County Convention Center 650 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL, United States

Get ready for the ultimate rent-to-own experience at RTO World 2026, co-hosted by APRO and TRIB Group! From August 24-27, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida, this is your chance […]

2026 Highpoint Furniture Market – Fall

High Point Market Authority 164 South Main Street, Suite 700, High Point, NC, United States

High Point Market is the ultimate destination for all things design, offering endless product options and unexpected moments of joy. It’s not just about products, but also about the experience, […]

2027 TRIB Group Meeting of the Minds

Oklahoma City Convention Center 100 Mick Cornett Dr, Oklahoma City, OK, United States

Meeting of the Minds brings together nearly 100 of the largest Rent to Own Industry manufacturers & distributors along with hundreds of independent and franchisee store owners and operators for […]

2027 AVB BrandSource Summit

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville, TN, United States

The AVB BrandSource Annual Summit is a key event for appliance, electronics, and home furnishings retailers, featuring insightful presentations, expert-led sessions, networking opportunities, and vendor expos. It helps industry professionals […]

2027 Highpoint Furniture Market – Spring

High Point Market Authority 164 South Main Street, Suite 700, High Point, NC, United States

High Point Market is the ultimate destination for all things design, offering endless product options and unexpected moments of joy. It’s not just about products, but also about the experience, […]

2027 AVB BrandSource Convention

Gaylord Texan Resort 1501 Gaylord Trl, Texas, 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 […]

2027 RTO World

Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland 1 St. Clair Ave NE, Cleveland, OH, United States

Get ready for the ultimate rent-to-own experience at RTO World 2027, co-hosted by APRO and TRIB Group! From August 23-26, 2027, in Cleveland, Ohio, this is your chance to join […]

2027 Highpoint Furniture Market – Fall

High Point Market Authority 164 South Main Street, Suite 700, High Point, NC, United States

High Point Market is the ultimate destination for all things design, offering endless product options and unexpected moments of joy. It’s not just about products, but also about the experience, […]

2028 AVB BrandSource Summit

Gaylord Palms 6000 W Osceola Pkwy, Kissimmee, FL, United States

The AVB BrandSource Annual Summit is a key event for appliance, electronics, and home furnishings retailers, featuring insightful presentations, expert-led sessions, networking opportunities, and vendor expos. It helps industry professionals […]

2028 Highpoint Furniture Market – Spring

High Point Market Authority 164 South Main Street, Suite 700, High Point, NC, United States

High Point Market is the ultimate destination for all things design, offering endless product options and unexpected moments of joy. It’s not just about products, but also about the experience, […]

2028 Highpoint Furniture Market – Fall

High Point Market Authority 164 South Main Street, Suite 700, High Point, NC, United States

High Point Market is the ultimate destination for all things design, offering endless product options and unexpected moments of joy. It’s not just about products, but also about the experience, […]

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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.