Leigh Jones Handal has more than three decades of experience in public relations, marketing and development. Her past positions in higher education include having served as Director of Institutional Advancement at the Charleston School of Law; Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium; and Assistant/Acting Director of College Relations at Winthrop University, where she founded the school’s award-winning alumni magazine. She also has served as Director of Public Programs and Communications at Historic Charleston Foundation from 1998 – 2010, and managed advancement programming at Pet Helpers and the Preservation Society of Charleston.

Her marketing and publications initiatives have been recognized on the national level by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, National Association of Governmental Communicators, and Take Pride in America Foundation; on the regional and state levels by the S.C. Public Relations Association, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District III, Printing Industries of the Carolinas, and the Southeastern Tourism Society (13 consecutive years); and on the local level by the Advertising Federation of America’s Charleston’s Chapter, Post and Courier Best of Awards, City Paper’s Best of Awards, and Charleston Magazine’s Best of Awards.

New book remembers the urban landscape of ‘Lost Charleston’

Leigh Handal’s company, Charleston Raconteurs, offers guests a unique experience designed for those seeking a deeper understanding of Charleston's history, as well as those who have visited Charleston before and want to experience something new and different. Our tours go beyond the usual tourist sites to explore the historic places and beautiful vistas of the Carolina Lowcountry. We'll show you rarely seen places where stories of our nation's founding and the antebellum South unfold in true raconteur style, history told with wit and skill.

In Storied & Scandalous Charleston, storyteller Leigh Jones Handal weaves tales of piracy, rebellion, ancient codes of honor, and first-hand accounts of the madness that ensued as the city fell first to the British in 1780 and then to the Union in 1865. Meet some of the foremost female criminals of the day—lady pirate Anne Bonny and highwaywoman Livinia Fisher. And learn how centuries of war, natural disasters, bankruptcy, and chaos shaped modern Charleston and the Carolina Low Country.

Leigh Handal’s Book Lost Charleston Takes Readers On A Tour Of The City's Streets As They Once Were

Leigh Handal tells us about the history of Charleston’s City Market.

Leigh Handal shares some stories of Charleston’s free people of color, many of whom were responsible for the beautiful buildings and craftsmanship found in Charleston.

Lelgh Handal recounts the Great Fire of 1796.

February is Black History Month and an excellent opportunity to share some stories about some of the African Americans who have played important roles in our region's history.

Leigh Handal celebrates Valentine’s Day by sharing a few of Charleston’s great historic love stories.

As temperatures rise, so do tempers. Charleston history guru Leigh Handal with Charleston Raconteurs says Charleston's past includes a high number of duels from June until September.

July, she says, was a popular month for the once-legal way of settling disagreements.