REXBURG — Yellowstone Bear World has made Courtney Ferguson the new president of the company.

“It is our pleasure to announce the promotion of Courtney Ferguson to President of Yellowstone Bear World,” a news release read. “Courtney has been with the company throughout its 20-year history, assisting in the concept and execution of establishing Yellowstone Bear World as a premier drive-through wildlife park and Eastern Idaho’s number one tourist attraction.”

Before becoming president, Courtney Ferguson was the vice president and was in charge of the company’s marketing and public relations for some time.

He has “worn many hats in management roles through the years,” the release said. “Courtney’s hard work and dedication to the travel and tourism industry is apparent as he has served in several organizations promoting tourism in Idaho, including a governorship with the Idaho Travel and Tourism Board.”

Courtney Ferguson said the company’s growth and its employees have allowed him to take on this new role.

The company is family operated. Courtney Ferguson’s father, Michael Ferguson, is continuing as the company’s CEO and is no longer the acting company president. Ferguson says that his father is still very involved in what is going on in Yellowstone Bear World, but he will be spending some time on other ventures including real estate holdings and hunting equipment.

Courtney Ferguson says that the idea behind Yellowstone Bear World came from his father’s childhood. When Michael Ferguson was little, his family would go to Yellowstone National Park to look at wildlife. Now that it has become harder to spot wildlife in the park due to population numbers and families having to put strict time constraints on their trip, the Fergusons thought it would be great to recreate a family road trip through Yellowstone at a facility here in Rexburg.

Courtney Ferguson was born and raised in Rexburg. He graduated from Madison High School and went to college in Arizona, where he graduated in 1998. He said that they decided to start Yellowstone Bear World here in Rexburg because it’s home.

“It is our home, and it’s something we wanted to stay in this area and bring this opportunity and keep it right here in Madison County,” Courtney Ferguson said. “Because it’s where we’re from.”