Even through a phone line, Lloyd Hill’s warmth, enthusiasm, and vision resonate loudly, whether he’s talking about his company (Applebee’s), his family, or his passion for Sunflower House, a home and services provider for children whose lives have been torn apart by sexual and physical abuse.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the damage we do to children who trust us. I can’t think of anything I would rather be involved with than trying to turn a child’s life around so that he can become a happy and productive person.” Hill and his wife, Sue Ann, have actively backed the organization since 1996. “I was just so impressed with these people and their mission, I went home and talked to Sue Ann, who has had abuse in her family’s history. It was a cause we had to support.”

Applebee’s president and CEO is also involved in other civic causes, such as the board of Starlight Theater and the Chamber of Commerce. He’s on the Civic Council and serves on various committees at Rockhurst where he earned his MBA. Originally from Galveston Island in Texas, Hill’s career includes five different industries. From a seat on Applebee’s board, he took on a more active role in the restaurant world in 1993. He had just sold a home-health business and promptly gave up plans to “scuba dive in the islands and write the great novel.” “It sounded like an incredible opportunity to take a wonderful brand and expand a happy experience in people’s lives,” he says.

The Hills have three grown children and four grandchildren, all living in the Kansas City area. When he thinks about the children who come to Sunflower House, he knows how lucky he’s been, for he was raised in a “remarkably well-adjusted middle-America family” whose mother especially raised him with the philosophy that you can be whatever you want. Beyond his career and personal achievements, he sees Sunflower House as his opportunity to “make a contribution and maybe make a difference.” He’s doing both.