One of the greatest things about social media is that it not only accelerates real world connections, but it also adds a human and authentic layer to online activity. In the words of ReadWriteWeb, "social media is bringing back the human element to all digital interaction" - something that was largely missing from the anonymity-at-worst and mass-market-at-best phenomena of the early Web.

In that spirit, and along side the National Journal team, I am proud to be apart of the 3121 community development and online engagement efforts with my New Media Strategies colleagues Bill Beutler, Jessica Boulanger and Patrick Ottenhoff. Through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email and good-old-fashioned phone calls and face-time, we look forward to talking with the 3121 community, area bloggers, Twitterers and members of the media who are interested in learning more about the project, the process and the promise of 3121.

With journalism, politics and social media in our backgrounds and on the top of our minds, Bill, Pat, Jessica and I make for a great extension of the National Journal team and supporters of the 3121 community. PS: Don't hesitate to be in touch either here on the blog, or over Twitter via the official team account @3121, or through our personal accounts: @LeslieBradshaw, @WilliamBeutler, @JessBoulanger and @POttenhoff.

Leslie Bradshaw is a 3121 Community Manager and member of the Public Affairs team at New Media Strategies.