Patricia “Sister Schubert” Barnes, founder of Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Banquet, set for Jan. 29.

Barnes, who now lives in Andalusia, founded the company in 1989 in the kitchen of her home in Troy, Ala. In September of 2000, she sold the stock in her company to Lancaster Colony, a specialty foods corporation in Columbus, Ohio, whose broad marketing system has propelled Sister Schubert’s Rolls into normal brand status.

In addition to the original Parkerhouse Roll, Sister Schubert’s product line has grown to include cinnamon, blueberry cream cheese, orange, sausage and dinner rolls, as well as new pretzel rolls. The company has a growing retail sales department, which offers fancy gift boxes and other gift items including Sister’s own cookbook, marketed on-line at www.sisterschuberts.com.

Barnes serves as Culinary Ambassador for the State of Alabama, and in addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame, she serves Auburn University as a visiting executive in the Lowder School of Business, as a member of the Women’s Philanthropy Board and a member of the Dean’s Board of School of Human Sciences. Sister also serves on the board of the Barnes Family Foundation as its president.

She and her husband, George, live in Andalusia with their adopted son, Alex, who is 12. Their son Evans is a freshman at Auburn University. Daughter Charlotte is pursuing a career in medical sales, and daughter Chrissie is the executive director of the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce.

Platinum ($1,500, includes 16 VIP tickets), gold ($750, includes 12 VIP tickets), silver ($500, includes eight VIP tickets), and bronze ($250, includes four VIP tickets) sponsorships are available.

Tickets are $30 each for members and $35 for non-members. For information, or to reserve tickets, contact the chamber at 222-2030.

The Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership Meeting and Awards Banquet will be held on Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Kiwanis Community Center on the South Bypass.