Meet Eddie Mannis
Servant Leadership.
I’ve learned so much about leadership from those around me: my family, the people who I work with, and those community-minded individuals who lead institutions across the city. As Knoxville’s Deputy Mayor and the city’s first Chief Operating Officer, I got to see what it means to lead in government.
I’ve also been given the responsibility of leading a number of organizations in Knoxville. It’s a privilege I haven’t taken lightly. As chair of McGhee Tyson Airport’s board, I guided them through millions of dollars in improvements and the hiring of a new airport president, the first new president in more than 25 years.
I’ve also served as Chairman at Zoo Knoxville, working with a fantastic team to strategically plan for and oversee more than $35 million dollars in capital construction. As chairman, my goal was to make sure that Zoo Knoxville could compete as a destination attraction for this region. I’ve served on the Covenant Health board because medical care is so important in this community and Covenant has a great mission in really working hard to try and fulfill needs. I served as Chair of the University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Associates. I was on the Visit Knoxville board, the Chamber board, the Knox Heritage board, and a variety of other boards. I believe it is important to really try and make a difference.
Our community deserves a representative who has a strategic vision and a roadmap for growth and economic prosperity. It needs a leader who will also have the courage to battle for what is right, and the ability to see things through from start to finish. It must have someone who is willing to understand the competing needs of communities across the state and to work toward effective compromise, always with the best interests of Knoxville and Knox County in mind. That is what I’m committed to doing every day as District 18 State Representative.