Hey all. I am very moved by a conversation I just had with fellow panelists at ComNet 2026, a national conference bringing together problem solvers working in a wide array of fields in all things communications.
I was joined Thursday by Kumeyaay sculptor and cultural bearer Johnny Bear Contreras, San Diego State University public health researcher Dr. Paula Stigler Granados and Surfrider Foundation’s Clean Border Water Now program director Sarah Davidson on a panel led by Surfrider CEO Chad Nelson.
Focusing on the Tijuana River pollution crisis, we reflected on ways to address such a complex problem in a watershed divided not only by a border, but involving dozens of agencies and decades of economic policies that have resulted in the sewage crisis as we know it today.
Understanding that each of our roles is distinct when it comes to pushing toward solutions, we discussed what we hold in common: a dedication to facts and to disseminating information the public has a right to know — all with the goal of improving peoples’ lives.
Good to keeps these larger goals in mind.