To say that Greg Schuckman is a busy man these days would be quite an understatement. Schuckman, a university administrator and chairman of two community organizations, has to balance his professional life with a home life that consists of a wife and three young children. Here, the highly-active Schuckman opens up about his favorite spots in Lorton, what he thinks are the biggest concerns facing the community and what he thinks the future will bring.

Number of years in the community: Seven. 15 total in the Northern Virginia area.

Family: Wife Pamela, daughter Alexandra, 11; sons Graham, 8; and Mason, 5.

Education: Master of governmental administration, University of Pennsylvania. Bachelor of science in advertising, University of Florida.

Your first job: My first job was a game room attendant at Showbiz Pizza (a Chuck-E-Cheese-type establishment) in Marietta, Ga. when I was in high school.

Current job/primary occupation: I am a university administrator who serves as the assistant vice president for university relations and director of federal relations and research advancement at the University of Central Florida, a public university located in Orlando.

Activities/interests/hobbies: The most rewarding activity that I am engaged in is serving as chairman of the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Board. We educate more than 64,000 students a year at our six campuses. Last October, I was selected to serve as a director-at-large for the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Board. And, when I’m not playing with my children, studying higher education policy issues, advocating for elements of our national innovation initiative or trying to avoid the dreaded “honey-do” list, I love to play my tenor saxophone and solve Sudoku puzzles.

Favorite local restaurant or place in the community? We’ve had so many great restaurants open in Lorton Station recently that it’s hard to pick one. If you haven’t been to Pan e Vino, Fireside Grill, Tokyo One, my Karma Indian Bistro, Hong Kong Café, Z-Pizza or Glory Days, then you are really missing out.

What are your community concerns? What are some ideas you have on ways to improve your community? My biggest concern for the Greater Lorton community is the lack of a middle school to complement our new South County Secondary School (SCSS). Much further down the list is the lack of social and recreational activities for our children. This area needs its own recreation center so that our children have a safe place to play and learn. Also, I would like to see us create more Lorton-wide events.

What is the last book you read? The last movie you saw? The last book was “The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” by Tom Friedman, and the last movie was “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

What brought you here? When Graham was born, we moved from our townhouse in Springfield to our home here in Lorton.

What community “hidden treasure” do you think more people should know about? As I said, NOVA is on the top of the list because it offers such a rich selection of educational and cultural activities, but closer to home, the Lorton Station Town Center is a treasure that many people aren’t aware of … yet.

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Throughout my junior and senior high school years, I had my heart set on becoming a pilot and believed that the best way to achieve that goal was through the U.S. Air Force or Naval Academies.

If you were able to take a road trip anywhere right now, where would you go? Since we are about to embark on a family vacation out west through Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, I would have to say there although our annual pilgrimage to Lancaster and Hershey, Pa. is one that we always look forward to.

What are your personal goals?

In the near future, I hope to teach my first class, publish my first book, play some gigs with a band (anyone interested in adding a sax player?) and “strengthen my core.” While I have always enjoyed the challenge of putting ideas into action, I now feel a sense of urgency in doing so since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) seven years ago. Knowing how unpredictable MS can be, I feel the need to do as much as I can now before any real disability impacts my life. Living with this illness affords me a perspective that I could not otherwise have had and so I have grown through this experience in ways that I cannot begin to describe.

How have you seen the Lorton area change in the years you’ve lived there? Lorton is experiencing a transformation that I can only describe as a modern-day renaissance. The closure of the prison, the rapid expansion of shopping and dining options, the construction of new schools, the widening of our roads, and of course, the explosion of new homes in Lorton — have all contributed to an unprecedented level of change that has reshaped what Lorton had been for the past century.

What do you see for the future of the Lorton area? I think the impact of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) will be felt in a profound way in Lorton over the next 7-10 years. The expansion of Fort Belvoir and the nearby Engineering Providing Ground (EPG) will not only bring new families to our community, but a need to construct significant office space for the contractors who will be supporting our military.

The “new Lorton” is still in its infancy and as with any development, there are and will continue to be growing pains. We need a new middle school (now!), a new post office, a new recreation center, and most likely, a new library. We need a common identity, a shared vision, and a way to galvanize the incredible talent that is resident in our area toward the betterment of our community. We need more people to have a vested interest in ensuring that all of Lorton achieves its potential. In short, we need patience because if you think what happened thus far is amazing, wait until you see what comes next!