Lloyd Hill is the Chairman of the Board of Applebee’s International, Inc. (A.I.I.), based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Hill joined Applebee’s as Chief Operating Officer in January 1994, and was named President in December 1994. He became Co-Chief Executive Officer in January 1997; Chief Executive Officer in January 1998; and was elected Chairman of the Board in May 2000. Hill first began serving on the A.I.I. board as an Independent Member in 1989. Hill retired as CEO in September 2006 and continues to serve as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.

Under Hill’s leadership, Applebee’s grew into the largest casual dining concept in the world, with nearly 1,900 restaurants in 49 states and 17 countries. In 2005, Hill was named by Institutional Investor magazine as one of “ America’s Best CEO’s” and as one of the top-performing CEO’s within the restaurant industry. He also was named 2005 “Operator of the Year” by the operators-readers of Nation’s Restaurant News. In 2006, Applebee’s International, Inc., was named “Most Shareholder-Friendly” company by Institutional Investor magazine.

Donna Hood Crecca has been writing about foodservice and hospitality for nearly two decades. She was one of the Founding Editors of Cheers magazine in 1990. She returned as its Editor-in-Chief in January, 2006. She has developed expertise in restaurant marketing, operations, human resources and growth strategies. Having covered these topics for a number of foodservice industry magazines, she also has expertise in beverage sales, operations, promotion, service and training, .

Donna holds a Bachelors degree in Magazine Journalism from Syracuse University and has done graduate work in Magazine Publishing Management at New York University.

Spencer Tillman is a former NFL player for the Houston Oilers (1987-88 and 1992-94) and the San Francisco 49ers (1989-91) and has won a Super Bowl. He has also served as a Team Captain, Sports Broadcaster for CBS College Football Today, NFL Sunday Ticket, WABC-TV New York, KPRC-TV Houston, TX and Fox Sports Net. Tillman has spoken for organizations such as BMW of North America, Sears, and the NCAA. He has authored op-ed pieces for the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, London Times and several other notable periodicals.

Tillman holds a Bachelors of Science in Communications and Journalism from Oklahoma University. Spencer and his wife Rita have four daughters.