Sister Schubert founder is keynote at seventh annual Trussville Leadership Conference

Patricia Barnes, known as Sister Schubert, will headline the seventh-annual Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Conference on Thursday, March 15 at the Trussville Civic Center. She will share the story of how she took her love to make her grandmother’s dinner rolls into a national grocery item, Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls.

“The reason our story is one people like to hear is it’s a Cinderella story in the grocery business. It was my dream and my grandmother’s recipe, and I stayed true to it and made sure I maintained all of the quality and surrounded myself with people who would make sure my dream came true,” Barnes said.

Barnes says she plans to use the speaking engagement as a way to give back to others through her business experience, while touching on the message of being true to one’s self as a key trait to become a successful leader and business person.

“I hope to inspire others to be a great leader and to take their ideas and their dreams and follow through with them,” Barnes said. “My gut feeling is this was a good opportunity for me to reach out to some people who may need to hear an inspiring message right now.”

Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls, which began in the early 1990s, now produces millions of baked goods per day from its facilities. After selling the stock in her company in 2000, Barnes began the Barnes Family Foundation, where she serves as president. She has also served as Culinary Ambassador for the state of Alabama and served on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame. She has also been involved at Auburn University as a visiting executive at Lowder School of Business, a member of the Dean’s Board of the School of Human Sciences and a member of the Women’s Philanthropy Board.

The one-day Leadership Conference, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., will include two morning sessions and a box lunch. Attendees can design their own agenda by choosing from multiple session options while networking with business professionals from the surrounding communities. The main expo hall will be set up for vendors.

Breakout sessions leaders include Mike Ennis, executive pastor of Faith Community Fellowship; Dr. Gary Fenton, senior advancement officer at Samford University; Vic Modic, executive vice president of Amerex Corporation; and Don Stuckey, leadership coach. Additional breakout sessions may be added prior to the event.

Cost for those who register for the event through March 2 is $45 for individuals and $375 for a table of eight. Late registration will be available through Friday, March 9 at a cost of $55 for individuals and $425 to reserve a table. The first 100 attendees will receive a copy of Sister Schubert’s latest cookbook.

For more information, or to register, email Melissa.walker@trussvillechamber.com or call 655-7535.