Mayoral Election Profile: Eddie Mannis pushes for creating jobs, minority entrepreneurship

Eddie Mannis has lived in Knoxville, Tennessee his whole life and now he is running for mayor.

“I considered running seven and a half years ago. I went about on my day-to-day work. The passion [to run for mayor] has never left me. It’s been eight years now, and it’s greater than it’s ever been,” Mannis said.

Mannis is the president of Prestige Cleaners and Prestige Tuxedo in Knoxville. He began the company, which now has 11 locations, when he was 24.

Additionally, Mannis served as the deputy to the mayor and chief operating officer from 2011 to 2013. He is the co-founder of Art in Public Places which is a year-round public art exhibit throughout downtown Knoxville.

Mannis has held many different roles within the community such as: Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, “Visit Knoxville” Board of Directors member and Immediate Past Chair for the Knoxville Zoo.

“You understand the dynamics of Knoxville. I can see what role the zoo plays and the airport plays and being intimately involved in all these organizations,” Mannis said. “I think all of these things play into molding the person for being the next mayor of the city of Knoxville.”

Mannis has earned a variety of recognition awards, including: a community service award, an induction into the East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame and the 2017 Honorary Life Membership in the Vietnam Veterans of America award.

Mannis has a list of priorities if he becomes the Knoxville City Mayor. One of his priorities is creating jobs and focusing on entrepreneurship, especially with a focus on minority entrepreneurs.

“I started my business from basically nothing. So, I know what it’s like to start a business from scratch. I know how challenging it is. We have opportunities here for our minority entrepreneurs,” Mannis said.

Some other priorities include: raising the quality of life in Knoxville with greenways and parks, focusing on becoming a city that really believes in equality, improving education in the city and the economic growth and development of Knoxville.

“I think when you look at my name on the ballot I want you to think, ‘he has a love for Knoxville, and his only goal is to make Knoxville be the best version it could be,’” Mannis said.