AKA Presents Dr. Phlunte’ Riddle, Mother of the Year

By The Pasenda Journal

On Saturday, May 11, 2019, the Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is sponsoring the 31st Annual Fashionetta Salute to Mothers and Scholarship Luncheon & Fashion Show at the Glendale Hilton from 10 AM – 3 PM. During this year’s event, the 2019 Mother of the Year, Dr. Phlunte’ Riddle, will be honored.

She is a phenomenal woman who has served her community throughout her life. She is a mother, wife, educator, author, community servant, mentor, retired law enforcement officer and motivational speaker. She currently serves as the Director of External Affairs for Assemblymember Chris Holden, is an adjunct professor and has launched her own consulting company, Phlunte’ Riddle & Associates, LLC. Throughout her life, she has strived to make a difference for those around her, especially the underserved.

She moved to Pasadena at the young age of 8 where she started school at Loma Alta Elementary and then matriculated through the Pasadena Public School System. Her immediate and extended family are her passion and her joy. She has been married for 40 years to Eddie Riddle. They are blessed with 3 sons – Ralph, Eric and Justin and three grandbabies.

Beyond her home, Phlunte’ has made a difference in Pasadena. She became a Pasadena police officer in order to help people. Her goal of being helpful lead her to become known as a role model and resource within her community. At the time that she joined the Pasadena police department, there were very few black officers and even fewer black women. This meant that when blacks in the community had a loved one in trouble, they needed help. Phlunte’ gained a reputation within the black community as being a ‘go to’ person within the department because she helped those in need to navigate the system to take care of their loved ones. She made her mark in the Pasadena Police Department where she served in many capacities that included being the first African American female sergeant, lieutenant and Adjutant to the Chief of Police in the history of Pasadena Police Department.

Dr. Riddle has volunteered her time and served the Pasadena community in many ways that are too numerous to name them all. A handful of the commissions/ committees that she has served on are Pasadena Center Operating Company, Foothill Family Services, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Board (NOBLE), YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley Board of Directors and currently sits on the board of Foothill Unity Center.

In her spare time, Dr. Riddle enjoys reading, going to the beach and traveling. She loves to listen to Smooth Jazz, but will always be a “Motown Girl” where her favorite artists are the Temptations, Smokey & the Miracles, Marvin Gaye and the Four Tops.

Dr. Riddle’s advice to young people is to be involved, help someone else and fi nd value in being you. It will bring great joy. Her life philosophy is to be self-aware through emotional intelligence; be refl ective and intentional on what you do and how you treat others.

The Pasadena Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is very proud to honor Dr. Phlunte’ Riddle as the 2019 Mother of the Year! Sponsors for the 31st Annual Fashionetta are Edison International, AT&T, Southern California Gas Company and Friends of PAIF. If you want to attend Fashionetta and join in this recognition of a deserving woman from our community, you can go to ‘thepaif.org’ to purchase a ticket. Your support is needed and appreciated.

This article originally appeared in the Pasadena Journal.