Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
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JOIN APRO

Members-Only Home Page

Welcome APRO Member. Below are just a few ways APRO membership benefits you!

  • Who do you need when issues arise? APRO provides expert consultants to serve you in legal, wage and hour, insurance, media and legislative issues. Attorneys are available as a members-only benefit. Email legal@rtohq.org with your legal matter. Be sure to include the following information in your email:
    • General subject matter
    • Your name
    • Your company
    • Preferred method of contact: email or phone number (please include phone number)
    • Whether you have had any prior legal conversations about your subject matter and with who?
  • APRO protects your businesses – in Washington, D.C., with the IRS, in state legislatures and with local, state and federal regulatory agencies. In recent years, APRO led the charge to keep RTO from being regulated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) – the only industry to be omitted from regulation that consumer groups were demanding to be included.
  • Sleep better at night knowing someone is protecting your company. APRO monitors state legislatures and Congress daily searching for potential legislation that might adversely affect our ability to run your businesses. New bills come up on a weekly and monthly basis that could adversely affect your business. Not only do we fight those bills, but we also send out Members Only Alerts on these issues so you are aware of what is happening that could affect you.
  • Know what’s going on in the industry. APRO lets you know what is going on in the rent-to-own industry through its magazine, electronic newsletter and special alerts to its membership.
  • Learn what your peers are saying, doing and implementing. RTO WORLD (this August) will provide rental dealers with the largest, most diversified networking opportunities in the entire industry.
  • Learn new business strategies. RTO World brings in industry and professional speakers on subjects like store design, the changing demographics of our customer base, how to market to the Millennial generation, how to create great customer experiences in our stores and how to implement strategies to bring in new types of customers. This is the best education available in the industry.

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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.