Leslie Skardon, who will be sworn in as a freshman member of Charleston City Council on Jan. 13, wants local government to feel more connected, transparent and community driven.
The James Island resident, who will be the only woman on the 12-member council, describes her ideal Saturday morning as starting with an iced cortado and a blueberry muffin from High Falutin Coffee on James Island. Then she heads to Sullivan’s Island with her twin boys and golden retriever. It’s a routine that captures everything she values about Charleston — family, nature and community.
“The beauty of this area is stunning,” Skardon said in a recent interview after winning a three-way race for council. “We love living here because of the sea, the marshes, the green spaces, our trees — the opportunity to just be outside, on the water, in nature. And, of course, the people. There’s an incredible community here who really cares about each other.”
Connected to community
Skardon said her deep sense of community is what pushed her to run for council to represent District 12 on James Island.
It’s an easy city to romanticize — until the tides rise, the streets crack and the practical work of governing begins. Skardon is quick to remind people that behind the beauty are problems that need fixing — and that’s where her focus is.
“City council is not a glamorous job,” she said. “This is about fixing potholes, making sidewalks, making our intersections safer, fixing flooding and ditches. But it’s the most fundamental building block of our community.”
Skardon said she believes a council member should be “the first person you call when you have an issue.” That philosophy of service, she said, is a deeply held family value — one she hopes to pass on to her sons.
During a recent parent-teacher conference, her campaign came up — but the teachers already knew. “They said, ‘Oh, Lawson is so proud of you — he talks about Mommy running for city council every day,’ ” Skardon said with a smile. “Hearing that our little boys are proud of what I’m doing was such an incredible moment.”
Skardon is married to Sam Skardon, a former chairman of the Charleston County Democratic Party who previously ran for the state Senate.
As a working mother and CEO of the statewide nonprofit Sustain South Carolina, Skardon’s days are packed.
“I’ve spent my career working with businesses, engaging in public policy and focusing on sustainability,” Skardon said. “Leading Sustain SC is the manifestation of that work — bringing businesses together with state agencies, utilities and nonprofits to make our state more sustainable — both from an economic and environmental perspective.”
Under her leadership, the organization relaunched its Land and Water Action Platform, which helps fund conservation projects across the state. In 2025, the initiative supported the protection of more than 13,000 acres of land and water in South Carolina.
She noted that the work she does at Sustain S.C. shares similarities with what she plans to do on city council.
“My day job is to bring together diverse coalitions and build bridges to find solutions to help protect our economy and environment. City council is similar — I am going there to be a team player — to work hard for District 12, find solutions and build the coalitions needed to deliver results.”
But she said she hopes her campaign — and now her new role — showed that civic involvement isn’t out of reach for anyone.
“A pothole isn’t political,” she said. “We should all be able to work together on these issues.”
Local priorities
Skardon, 35, said she is committed to making local government more approachable and transparent by holding monthly office hours and sending out a monthly newsletter.
“I don’t just listen — I act,” she said. “I’m not just here to listen to your problems. I’m here to fix them.”
Among her top priorities are tackling flooding and improving infrastructure — issues that affect nearly every Charleston resident. She describes flooding as a safety and financial concern.
While the city’s drains and ditches are maintained, Skardon said many still need significant updates.
“We have ditches that were created 40 years ago and have not been updated,” she said, emphasizing that aging infrastructure can contribute to flooding.
She also noted that some projects are already underway but stressed the need for continued funding and attention to ensure the city sees real improvements.
“We have one underway right now, so we need the funding and focus for James Island to make sure we’re seeing those flooding improvements,” Skardon added.
Persistence, dedication
That kind of persistence is something her father-in-law, longtime Charleston nonprofit leader Steve Skardon, said has defined her campaign from the start.
“She’s not kidding — she knocked on thousands of doors,” he said. “She’s a great listener, and people would walk away saying, ‘She’s fantastic. I love her.’ All she did was listen to what they had to say. For me, that’s what politics should be — when citizens feel connected to their leaders.”
That dedication — the long hours, the door-knocking, the conversations — all led to election night, when Skardon’s focus on neighborhood-level service resonated with voters.
Even with a busy schedule and new responsibilities, she said she hasn’t lost sight of what motivates her most.
“Regardless of what happens,” she said, “I’ll always find ways to continue to be involved in our community and make a difference. This approach reflects her focus on the work ahead. “We care about our community. We want to improve it.”
D’Allesandro makes more than pizza
Charleston pizza king Ben D’Allesandro has walked the streets of downtown Charleston long enough to know the city inside and out — literally. From his college days to today, he says strolling through Charleston is his favorite way to take in the city’s charm.
“By far, my favorite activity in downtown Charleston is walking. From the moment I moved here in college, I found that I really enjoyed experiencing the city by foot,” he said.
That connection to the city carried over into his work as a business owner. D’Allesandro started with a single neighborhood pizza shop and has expanded. Running businesses in Charleston has taught the Rutledge Avenue homeowner firsthand how city government impacts daily life.
“The challenge moving forward is finding the right balance — supporting a strong hospitality economy while ensuring Charleston remains a livable city for the people who work here and call it home,” he said in a recent interview.
Now, he’s bringing that same hands-on perspective to Charleston City Council, where he was recently elected to represent District 6 on the peninsula. He said he wants to focus on strengthening neighborhoods, supporting the people who make the city run and ensuring that growth benefits residents and visitors alike.
“The people who make the city run don’t get nearly enough attention,” he says. “I handle that by leading with respect — listening, being accessible, and treating everyone as a partner in serving the city. When you value people, the work gets better for everyone.”
Understanding how day-to-day city operations affect residents and businesses, he also emphasizes that getting involved doesn’t have to be intimidating.
“If it feels too big, start small — go to a meeting, email a representative, or help out with a neighborhood association. Local government runs on people stepping up.”
Balancing multiple businesses and a new role in city government might sound impossible to most — but for D’Allesandro, multi-tasking is a skill he’s literally practiced since childhood.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but I’m actually a juggler — a skill I learned from my dad. I picked it up years ago, and it turns out to be good training for running a restaurant — and now serving on city council — where you’re constantly keeping multiple things in the air at once.” —Katarina Kunkle
Polkey gets moving early in the day
Before most of the peninsula is fully awake, incoming Charleston City Council member Aaron Polkey is already moving through it.
Whether training at KOR4, running with The Outsiders, a Charleston-based workout group, or jogging familiar routes like the Battery, Hampton Park and the Cooper River Bridge, the Charleston native starts his days immersed in the city.
“Charleston has an amazing and vibrant physical fitness community and is a beautiful place to train outdoors,” he said.
That day-to-day connection carries into his professional life. As president and CEO of Palmetto Project, Polkey leads a statewide nonprofit, including South Carolina’s only nonprofit health insurance agency. In addition to managing operations, he is focused on what comes next.
“I’m leading the charge toward our next big idea to improve social and economic outcomes for all South Carolinians,” he said.
Through his work and the campaign for city council, Polkey has seen how rising costs affect Charleston residents, particularly on the peninsula. Soon to represent District 4 on Charleston City Council, attainable housing is a central focus of his platform.
“Each day, I see first hand how challenging it is to earn a living and thrive in the increasingly expensive Charleston metro area,” he said.
Polkey said he seeks to ensure residents can live near jobs while enjoying Charleston’s walkable, historic neighborhoods.
“That’s why my top priority is attainable housing on the peninsula.”
He has also highlighted neighborhood-level issues that affect daily life. The closure of the CVS Pharmacy in Kings Plaza, Polkey noted, “was a major blow to the upper peninsula, especially for our seniors who either walk or rely upon accessible parking.” He added he would like to help recruit an independent pharmacy to fill the void.
Throughout his campaign, Polkey emphasized accessibility, often meeting residents at coffee shops, restaurants, bars and parks.
“People should be able to easily access their representatives on convenient and relatable terms,” he said. For those hesitant to engage in local politics, his advice was straightforward: “Just go ahead and get involved in anything that feels right for you.”
While many Charlestonians may know Polkey through nonprofit work and advocacy, fewer are aware of his early start in media. As a teenager, he co-hosted a quarterly teen news program on WCSC called Mean Streets.
“My mom still has the VHS tapes,” he recalled. “And I’m scared to watch them!” —Katarina Kunkle
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