Why ComNet Always Fills My Cup

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By Amy Segelin

Back in the room where it happens

Some conferences you attend. ComNet you come home to.

I recently attended ComNet26 in San Diego, along with Chaloner VP Beth Kitzinger, and I'm still riding the glow. Between the sunshine, the ocean air, and a few days surrounded by the people who tell the stories of the social sector, it was exactly the reset I didn't know I needed.

What strikes me every year is how welcoming it is. First-timers and longtime regulars alike are pulled into conversations in hallways, at lunch tables, and in line for coffee. Nobody stands on the edges for long. That spirit is rare, and it's no accident.

What we found on a "clean" beach

As part of the pre-conference day of service, I joined 31 volunteers for a beach cleanup with Surfrider Foundation San Diego at Silver Strand State Beach. It's a gorgeous stretch of sand, and at first glance it looked spotless. It wasn't.

In a single hour we pulled 39 pounds of trash and logged roughly 1,800 individual items. The numbers that stopped me cold:

• 819 plastic fragments
• 138 foam fragments
• 130 food wrappers
• 81 cigarette butts
• 40 nurdles, the tiny plastic pellets used to make other plastic products
• 40 pieces of net, 30 yards of rope, and 10 yards of fishing line
• 25 balloons, plus a tire, a tarp, and a firework

The scariest part wasn't the big stuff. It was the sheer volume of pieces too small to notice, the bits that have already broken down and are working their way into the ocean and the food chain. More than half of everything we collected was a fragment of something bigger.

It was a humbling, hands-in-the-sand reminder that the issues our clients and candidates fight for every day are very real. Huge thanks to Surfrider for organizing and for the work they do year-round.

The best part: the people

In search, so much of our work happens over Zoom and email. ComNet is where it all becomes three-dimensional. I got to hug clients I've partnered with on searches, catch up with candidates I've followed for years, and finally meet in person people I'd only known on a screen.

There's something special about seeing the communicators we've placed now leading sessions, building teams, and championing others. It's the best reminder of why I love this work.

A big thank you to the team at the Communications Network for creating a space that's equal parts inspiring, practical, and joyful. Pulling off an event of this size while making it feel this personal is no small feat.

And a special shout out to Rachel, Emily, and Delaney. It was a delight to see you in action, bringing fresh energy and making connections all week. The future of this field is in very good hands.

Cup: full

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