“Thriving In South Florida With Bobby Blair” is my new weekly publisher’s column, one designed to empower and inspire readers. Each week, I will be featuring members of our community who share their real stories of bravery, tenacity and a strong will to survive. Their dilemmas and hardships are ones to which we can all relate. Yet, in the end, these leaders came out on top. Combining our print edition with our strong online presence, I will be bringing the community inspirational stories in a whole new way. In addition to the print version of the column, we will also feature an Internet talk show segment through guymag.net and floridaagenda.com. You’ll be able to see episodes of the talk show “Thriving In South Florida With Bobby Blair,” exclusively through our sites. This week’s incredible success story follows the president of the Wilton Manors Development Alliance, Krishan Manners. I hope that you enjoy both the talk show and the feature below.
Krishan Manners is working hard to make Wilton Manors a better city for all. For the past three years, he’s been aiding in the city’s development, “sustaining small town charm” and “creating urban sophistication.” The proof is in the pudding: He’s creating a landscape for new business owners to get into their businesses faster than every before.
Born in New Dehli, raised in New York, and schooled in South Carolina, it’s fair to say that Manners is well-traveled. Though he’s only been here for three years, Manners has already made a huge impact on the community. His non-profit organization, Wilton Manors Development Alliance, offers a free service to anyone that is interested in opening a small business in the area. He works with businesses on press releases, media contact, grand openings and more. Their main goal is to get more “mom and pop” businesses up and running in a timely fashion.
In addition to businesses, WMDA is trying to tackle some important issues of The Drive itself. He’s working toward a better, bigger Wilton: scaling down the drive to a two-lane road, widening sidewalks, safer crosswalks, parking garages, hotels and more. The next big thing on the organization’s plate? Revamping Dixie Highway. “Dixie Highway is really set to boom over the next few years. We have an advance coming in in I believe 2015 for sidewalks and streetscape improvement. There’s the potential of the train station going there for the FEC Line which I think would be phenomenal. I think the real estate there is going to improve considerably. Dixie is prime to boom.”
We can thank Krishan Manners for understanding the city, developing relationships and making our city the best it can be.
Photo of Krishan Manners by KuttnerPix
