Meet The Bullock Distillery Crew

John C. Bullock

Meet our Chief Executive Officer and Co-Owner, John C. Bullock. John is from Eastern North Carolina. He and his son, Tighe, were inspired with the possibility of constructing a craft distillery in what they called the “Little Staats” building. Five years later, they are producing and selling alcoholic spirits from the building. 

John is also the Owner, Vice President, and Chief Engineer of Gaddy Engineering Company.  He has owned and operated Gaddy for 24 years.  John holds Professional Engineer Licenses in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois.  He is also a Professional Geologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  John has spent more than 43 years in the mining industry in West Virginia.  

John has his BA in Geology from North Carolina Sate University, a Master of Science in Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a BS in Accounting from the University of Charleston.  

John was Mayor of Thurmond in 1984.  John is married to Ellen Muller Bullock and they have three children, Megan Bullock, Tighe Bullock and Jane Bullock Mercer.  John and Ellen are grandparents to Daniel Alexander Mercer and and Arlo Bullock-Brown, with another grandchild on the way.

John enjoys spending time with his faithful companion – Paddy Scout Murphy Bullock.  They like to take long walks together and go to the water park on the Kanawha River where she loves to swim and chase an occasional wave, stick or duck!

Tighe C. Bullock

Tighe C. Bullock grew up working in the construction industry from the age of 12, and so Tighe knows his way around a construction site. Those skills, along with Tighe’s Business Management degree and his Accounting degree (Magna Cum Laude), as well as his experiences as a practicing attorney, have helped Tighe create innovative finance models to restore historic buildings, create jobs, and grow business in the Mountain State. 

Originally from Thurmond, West Virginia where he is on City Council, Tighe’s love of historic preservation led him to successfully restore over 15 buildings in Charleston. He is passionate about history and the redevelopment of West Virginia communities, and currently serves as Chair of the Mount Hope Historic Landmarks Commission in Fayette County. Tighe is part owner and COO of The Bullock Distillery, where he is able to marry his love of chemistry, art, and business creation. 

In his spare time, Tighe enjoys white water rafting, climbing, skiing, and reading history books, as well as spending time with his family and fiancé, Molly.

Dusta M. Tanner

Meet Dusta M. Tanner, our Chief Financial Officer and Co-Owner of The Bullock Distillery.

Dusta grew up in Spencer, West Virginia and moved to Charleston in 2016. Dusta graduated in 2006 from West Virginia University of Parkersburg with a bachelor’s in business. She also holds multiple banking degrees from the American Institute of Banking with the West Virginia Bankers Association. She began working for Gaddy Engineering Company in 2009 and has held multiple roles and is now the President. She is also the Vice President of Crawford Holdings, LLC that has led in the redevelopment of the Elk City Historic District.

Dusta is a Past President, Board Member and Current Member of the Kiwanis Club of West Charleston.  Dusta also served on the Board of Directors of the Salvation Army.

Dusta is a workaholic but she occasionally enjoys retail therapy and is an avid collector of pineapples. Dusta spends her Thursday evenings at the bowling alley where she bowls in a trio tournament and is improving with every roll of the ball.

Adam Anderson

Head Distiller, Adam Anderson, was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. He was a carpenter for more than 25 years. He has been instrumental in the redevelopment of the Elk City Historic District of Charleston.  Adam’s background in construction has brought a set of skills to the Company that few distillers can match. If something breaks, Adam will fix it! Adam and owner, Tighe Bullock, have worked together off and on for almost 20 years in the construction industry. As Tighe can often be heard saying “Adam has forgotten more about construction than I remember.”

In his free time, Adam enjoys anything outdoors including camping and hiking. His family loves to explore West Virginia and all our great state has to offer in his camper. He is passionate about creating quality products and growing the distilling industry in the state. He loves what he does and it’s shown through his loyalty to the craft and The Bullock Distillery brand. We appreciate Adam and all he has done and continues to do to grow this business!

Scott Ferris

Distiller and Barrel Master, Scott Ferris, was born and raised in Bluefield, West Virginia and graduated from Bluefield High School in 2009.

From there, he studied math, physics, and eastern religions at West Virginia University, earning a B.S. in 2013. After graduating he spent years working as a whitewater river guide for Adventures On The Gorge (you can still request him as a guide), a ski and snowboard instructor on various mountains, and the drummer for a band called @Groundhog Gravy.

Aside from whitewater, snowsports, and live music, some of his other interests include foraging, mountain biking, listening to podcasts, the occasional unicycle ride, and of course enjoying a drink with friends. Scott and co-owner, Tighe, have been best buds since being roommates in college. They continue to do rad stuff together.

Royce S. Tanner

Meet Royce S. Tanner — our Sales Manager, Graphic Designer, and the brilliant brain (and finely tuned palate) behind The Bullock Distillery’s cocktail menu. If you’ve ever sipped something here that made you close your eyes and savor the moment, there’s a good chance she spent hours tinkering with that recipe. She’s the creative force experimenting with flavors after hours, perfecting balance, and deciding which drinks make the cut for each season’s offerings. From testing seven different types of citrus just to find the perfect note, to making sure every garnish tells part of the story, Royce treats each cocktail as both an art form and a craft.

A Roane County native, Royce earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from West Virginia State University and is pursuing her MBA at the University of Charleston.  Outside the distillery, she works as a property manager for Gaddy Engineering Company and serves as President of the Kiwanis Club West of Charleston. An avid reader, crocheter, and trivia player, Royce blends strategy, style, and flavor into everything she does — and it’s a recipe our guests can taste in every glass.

Josh Fetter

Meet the newest member of the Bullock team, our Sales Associate Josh Fetter! He moved to Charleston from Iowa in February of 2025 with his longtime partner when she got a job with the West Virginia library system in downtown Charleston. 

Josh grew up in northeast Ohio, but has also lived in Michigan, North Carolina, and Iowa. He graduated from Ohio State in 2018 with a bachelors in Religious Studies and a minor in Nonprofit Studies. 

He is a big sports fan and loves cheering on his Buckeyes and Cleveland Guardians! In his free time, he likes to play video games and board games, listen to music, read, play rec sports, and also collects playing cards. 

Josh has a deep passion for whiskey, having received the honor of becoming a level 1 Whiskey Sommelier from the Whiskey Marketing School in Austin, Texas in 2023. He’s excited to continue his whiskey education with Bullock and share his knowledge with the Charleston community!

Paddy Scout Murphy Bullock

Meet our shop dog, team mascot, and morale booster, Paddy Scout Murphy Bullock! Paddy Scout was born in Jackson, Ohio, and moved to West Virginia to her forever home in October 2019.  She’s the best part of everybody’s day. She loves greeting customers with a wagging tail, long hikes with her dad, catching “light bugs”, getting treats for doing tricks or being cute, and chasing sticks at the Kanawha River waterpark with her Dad. Our sweet girl is seven years old. She’s the famous pooch on the label of our “White Dog” Moonshine. Stop by our distillery so you can meet her!