Robert Briley Elected APRO President
July 22, 2010

The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations Board of Directors elected Robert Briley as the association's new president during its 2010 annual convention in Louisville. Briley, who served as first vice president, succeeded outgoing president "Tiger" John Cleek who served as APRO's president the past two years.

Briley, who owns seven Aaron's Sales and Lease stores in Texas was elected to the APRO board of directors in 2001. Briley earned APRO's Rental Dealer of the Year Award in 2005 and was awarded the APRO Legislative Conference American flag for holding the highest number of congressional meetings during APRO’s 2000 Legislative Conference. Briley has also served on the TARA Board of Directors and was the association's president and chariman.

Briley said his first order of business as APRO's president is to listen to the membership. He said the continued viability of the national trade association depends on its ability to meet the needs of a diverse array of businesses.

"APRO represents a very diverse group of people all with different views about the direction of the industry," Briley said. "I am confident because I have a great staff at APRO, a membership that represents the spirit and heart of this industry and an outstanding board of directors to work with. These give me peace because they are people I can count on. A group can create a greater plan than a single person. A shared vision is the only vision.

Within hours of his election, Briley has already met with TRIB Executive Director Dennis Shields and RentDirect Nationwide Executive Director James McAlpine -- representatives of the nation's two rent to own buying groups -- and other industry leaders to open a line of communication he said is essential to the growth prosperity and safety of the industry.

"Goal setting, I believe, is a bottom up, not a top down exercise," he said.