Hello, Fellow APRO Members!
As I write this, we’ve just returned from APRO’s first Legislative Conference in four years, and the APRO staff is promptly pivoting to ready for RTO World 2023, coming up on August 22-24, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas!
But before I tell you all about those exciting events, let me tell you a bit about the search for – and the appointment of! – our new APRO CEO. As you know, Jill McClure resigned at the beginning of this year following 5.5 years of successful leadership with the association. The APRO Board of Directors met, reviewed the process we used previously, and unanimously approved using an executive search firm once again to facilitate finding the right person for this critical position.
As your Board President, I formed an Executive Search Committee, appointing four other RTO leaders to join me in recruiting and hiring APRO’s next staff leader: Larry Carrico, CEO of SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One; Mark Connelly, Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions for Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials; Christine Hesse, head of Government Relations for Progressive Holdings Inc.; and Shirin Kanji, President of Impact RTO Holdings dba Rent-ACenter. (A huge thank-you to this group for the time, energy, and thoughtfulness they put into this process!)
In addition to candidates discovered by the search firm, all interested parties among the APRO membership were urged to submit their applications. The search firm conducted round-one interviews, ultimately identifying six solid candidates; the final two did Zoom interviews with the Executive Search Committee. As you might know, Charles Smitherman of APRO member PTS Financial Services was selected and began his tenure as APRO’s new CEO effective June 1st! Charles’ experience as an attorney and at the RTO executive level – along with his collaborative and modest approach as a servant leader – really impressed us; we think you’ll feel the same once you have the opportunity to meet-and-greet Charles in person at RTO World 2023!
Which is only one reason RTO World 2023 is going to be the don’t-miss industry event of the year. The RTO World Committee met up in San Antonio earlier this year to tour the convention center, hotels, and other locations that will be hosting RTO later this summer, and we are on-task and on-plan for an exceptional event. Come one, come all, and have fun – it’s going to be one fantastic fiesta (read up on all the Alamo City has to offer in “Viva, San Antonio!” on page 40)!
By the way, APRO and TRIB Group have already committed to continuing their successful partnership for RTO World 2024, which will be held in Orlando, Florida, at the elegantly exotic Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando!
Finally, I want to thank everyone who joined us to give Washington, DC, an RTO reboot at APRO’s Legislative Conference. Our first time on Capitol Hill in four years was a resounding triumph, with almost 50 participants representing 18 states visiting 85 Congressional members’ offices to tell the rent-toown story. Getting back in front of federal legislators again, reestablishing RTO as a presence in DC, and finding some “friendlies” for our industry within Congress are all awesome accomplishments – so thank you to all the folks who made the time, made the trip, and made the event a success (learn more about this year’s Legislative Conference and what participants thought of the experience in “Building Rent-to- Own Rapport” on page 16)!
On behalf of the APRO Board of Directors, APRO staff, and our new CEO, we wish you a cool and prosperous summer – and hope to see you soon in San Antonio!
MICHAEL BENNETT
APRO President & CEO of Buddy’s Newco LLC dba Buddy’s Home Furnishings
