People in Business
Joshua Hart was hired by The Columbian as a sports reporter, focusing on area high school sports and their athletes. Previously, he was sports editor at The Daily News in Longview. He graduated from Big Picture High School, SeaTac, in 2011, and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Western Washington University in 2015. Hart has enjoyed reading the paper since he was young and dreamed of being a professional sports writer. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to do that for the better part of the past six years in Bellingham and Longview,” he said. “I’m very excited to get back into more writing and meeting a community passionate about its prep sports.” When he’s not working, he enjoys golf and fishing in the summer, and skiing in the winter. “I also enjoy wine tasting and hiking with my fiancee, Becca,” he said. Reach Hart at joshua.hart@columbian.com; 360-735-4557; and on Twitter at twitter.com/jthart23
Rocky Scales was hired as the global sales leader at RealWear, a hardware technology company with headquarters at the Fort Vancouver Barracks, 600 Hatheway Road, Suite 105. Most recently, Scales led an e-commerce business unit at Vesta Corporation in Lake Oswego, Ore. He also worked for nine years in sales and product marketing at Hewlett-Packard.
Helen Peterson, a local bus driver for Battle Ground-area students, was inducted into a Safety Wall of Fame by Student Transportation of America. The organization is the parent company of Cascade Student Transportation, Peterson’s employer. The induction is the national company’s highest honor. Peterson has more than 15 years of experience in the school transportation industry and was chosen for the award based on her “impeccable attendance record and dedication to safety and policy,” according to a news release. She has been known to knit scarves for students on her bus during cold months and works to teach students proper bus-riding etiquette. She also is known for keeping a clean bus at the Battle Ground bus yard, so much so that it inspired an annual award: the Helen Peterson Clean Bus Award. A ceremony honoring Wall of Fame inductees took place on March 26 in Charleston, S.C.
The Columbian welcomes submissions about Clark County residents or businesses, as well as regional business events. Information must be received by noon of the Tuesday preceding the intended Monday publication date. Send to lyndsey.hewitt@columbian.com or fax 360-735-4540. Sales awards are not published.
