Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO)
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Welcome to LEAP, an exciting 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 […] |
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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 […] |
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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 […] 
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, […] |
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Back by popular demand, here’s your chance to catch some of the hottest sessions from RTO World 2025! You’ll get knowledge drops from three of the most popular sessions and experience a knowledge flashback like no other. Get pumped and get registered for this beloved tradition! This year’s encore lineup features: Will Jackson, RNR Tire […] |
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Speaker: Dave Arnold, e-Coast Systems Phishing attacks are more sophisticated than ever – hackers now target both passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) tokens. In this eye-opening session, e-Coast Systems Founder Dave Arnold will demonstrate a live phishing attack and reveal how criminals trick users into handing over critical login credentials. You’ll also learn practical strategies […] |
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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!
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!).
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.
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.
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.
