Esther Manheimer

Esther Elizabeth Manheimer (born July 24, 1971) is an American politician and attorney serving as the mayor of Asheville, North Carolina. Early life and education Manheimer was born on July 24, 1971, in the hamlet of Skyum Bjerge in Thy, Denmark, to American expat parents. She has two siblings. Her family returned to the United States when she was three, and she lived in San Diego, Olympia, Spokane, and Bethesda, Maryland before moving to Asheville when she was 17. Manheimer graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, and she served as campus director of the American Movement for Israel and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning degrees in law and a Master of Public Administration. Career After graduating from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Manheimer returned to Asheville, North Carolina in 2002. She was elected to the Asheville City Council in 2009 and served until 2013. She was elected mayor of Asheville in 2013.