Adele Andrade-Stadler has spent her life at the intersection of advocacy, education, and public service, and her leadership journey reflects a deep and unwavering commitment to making government work for the people. Currently serving her second term as Councilwoman for Alhambra’s Fifth District, Andrade-Stadler was first elected to the City Council in 2018.
“What I’ve learned is that you don’t get things done if you bicker and argue about what you want, you have to work in tandem for things to get through. This council has worked very hard to do exactly that,” she shared.
Andrade-Stadler’s public service roots were planted when she fell in love with constituent services as a member of then-State Senator Hilda Solis’ staff, followed by a 14-year tenure on the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) school board from 2004 to 2018, where she focused on equity and accessibility in education.
Before public office, Andrade-Stadler made her mark in early childhood education, managing a nonprofit childcare program for Union Bank employees. It was there, at a dinner event, that she met Hilda Solis and stepped into the world of public service.
Solis invited her into the political world, starting with a temporary constituent services role. Andrade-Stadler quickly fell in love with the work. “I never realized it could be that easy to help people,” she said. Whether it was resolving employment issues or connecting residents with the right state departments, she saw firsthand how impactful and immediate public service could be. When Solis moved to Congress, Andrade-Stadler became her District Director.
Today, that same passion drives her work on the City Council and beyond. She holds seats on regional boards focused on transportation and affordable housing, including the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust.
“We’ve already supported two affordable housing projects in Alhambra,” she noted. As a longtime member of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (COG), she also played a key role in Senator Maria Elena Durazo’s project to study the 710 freeway off-ramps in LA — a crucial issue in her district, which is crisscrossed by major transit corridors like Huntington Drive and Valley Boulevard.
Her leadership has brought food to families in need during the Covid-19 pandemic and helped transition Alhambra to 100% renewable energy. Through it all, Andrade-Stadler’s approach to leadership remains deeply personal. She gives constituents her direct phone number and prides herself on staying accessible.
Her inspiration throughout her life has always been her mother. A nurse who raised four children alone in Alhambra, Andrade-Stadler’s mother instilled in her the importance of education and resilience. “She put education at the forefront of everything,” she reflects. That legacy lives on in Adele’s work and in the family her mother raised: two attorneys, a City of LA budget analyst, and a city councilwoman making change in the very community where she grew up. Adele Andrade-Stadler exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and a relentless dedication to the people she serves.
What makes a good leader? Knowing that what you have done or what you want to do cannot be done by yourself.
Her advice for young women: Don’t be in too much of a rush to get to the top. Make sure you do the hard work it entails to understand what leadership is from the ground up.
