John D. LaVerne is a native Charlestonian whose passion for storytelling began during a senior-year internship with the Charleston Tourism Department while attending The Citadel. After graduation he took his first job as a tour guide, and in 2001 turned that hobby into Bulldog Tours, now Charleston’s largest and most acclaimed walking-tour company, employing more than 80 team members and voted “Best Tour Company” for fifteen consecutive years.
Deeply committed to sustainable tourism, LaVerne directs a portion of every tour ticket to preservation and restoration projects. Since its founding, Bulldog Tours has contributed more than $7 million toward safeguarding some of America’s most significant historic landmarks.
LaVerne’s leadership extends well beyond his business. He serves on the boards of the American College of the Building Arts, the Lowcountry Hospitality Association, the College of Charleston’s Hospitality & Tourism Management Department, as well as the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Board of Governors.
He lives on Johns Island with his wife, Rhonda, and their children, Jackson and Ava. Between running a thriving company and raising two energetic kids, he freely admits that any free time is happily spoken for.