Ellen and Anthony Portantino Honored on National Parents Day

Twenty-six parent couples, including Ellen & Anthony Portantino were honored by the National Parents Day Coalition at Pasadena City Hall on July 26th. The awards were presented by Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard in recognition of the honorees being exemplary parents and role models in the community, and in celebration of National Parents Day. The Portantinos have two daughters: Sofia, and Bella.

National Parents Day was first approved as a national holiday by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, on October 14, 1994. The establishment of Parents’ Day was the result of a bipartisan, multiracial and interfaith coalition of religious, civic and elected leaders who recognized the need to promote responsible parenting in our society and to highlight parental role models.

Mayor Bogaard gave the keynote address and presented Certificates of Recognition from the California Legislature to each set of parents.

“Ellen and I are very honored to be recognized alongside so many fantastic parents in the San Gabriel Valley who have raised terrific children. Raising our two wonderful daughters has been our proudest accomplishment and makes me excited every day to participate in their personal growth and education,” said Anthony Portantino.

Ellen Portantino is an executive at Warner Brothers, an officer in the PTA and a Girl Scout Leader. Anthony Portantino is the former Mayor of La Canada Flintridge, served in the California State Assembly from December 2006 to December 2012. He is also active in the PTA, an AYSO referee for the past 16 years and an usher at St. Bede RC Church.

In addition to the Portantinos, the following parents also received National Parent’s Day recognition: Mark and Kayo Alexander; Joao and Tammy Huang Ancacleto; Steve and Mary Anglin; Gayokla-Nichi and Kim Ayala; Timothy and Rona Bowles; Peter and Susan Chen; Walter Dominguez and Shelley Morrison; Jack and Giene Fulks; Bobby and Mina Ghofranian; Ernesto and Kiroko Gomez; Michael and Aileen Grant; Alan and Alice Harris; Ching Hui Hsu and Peggy Lee; Chang Woon and Seo Young Jeong; Alfred and Kumy Karam; Eulogio and Julia Lopez; Moyopo Pierre and Bernadette Mbouekam; Ronald and Jacquetta Moor; John Riley and Diane Gonzalez; Robin Salzar and Ann-Marie Villicana; Ali and Mahrokh Shirmohammadi; Angel and Delia Tejada; Charles and Carmen Trevino; Andy and Lucy Wu; Mehdi and Mahnaz Zokaei.