It is important to us at NewRiverVoice.com to know that we are connecting with you. We don’t want communication to be a one-way process. We want to hear from you, too. We want to know your thoughts and ideas. We want to know what’s important to you. We want to know what you would like to see at NewRiverVoice.com.

Engagement is always a challenge. In the process of writing and editing, assigning stories, searching for graphics, dealing with technology issues (and with JetBroadband, the current bane of our existence), and so many other aspects of running an online news organization, engagement with our readers can easily all through the cracks.

For that reason, I am happy to announce that we now have a Community Connections Intern, whose responsibility will be to operate our social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace) and to find ways to connect with you.

Elly Schulte is the person brave enough to deal with my rants and whims and who will immediately become a liaison to our readers as well as fans of our weekly radio show on WVRU called The Listening Room.

Elly is studying sociology and psychology as an undergraduate student at Radford University and she just returned from a summer abroad trip to Europe.

A native of Asheville, N.C., Elly has an array of experiences ranging from a couple stints working at Home Depot to work with Habitat for Humanity and being a legal assistant. Elly is interested in politics, social justice, and community outreach, so she will be trying to gauge your interest in those things, too.

We hope to have some meet-ups this summer in which we can talk about community involvement, and Elly will be largely responsible for pulling those together and promoting them. She’ll also be letting you know about events where you can find us, for instance, this Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the free screening of Food, Inc. at the Norwood Room located at 1129 East Main Street in Radford.

So please welcome Elly to the New River Voice family, and we can assure you that you’ll be hearing from her often.

Tim W. Jackson is Editor of the New River Voice. This Inside Voice blog gives you a peak at what goes on in the daily world of NewRiverVoice.com and what the organization hopes to do in the future.