Maryland Higher Education Commission

Gregory A. Schuckman

Commissioner Schuckman was appointed to serve on the Commission by Governor Martin O’Malley in April 2011 to fill an unexpired term from 2010 that will expire in 2015. He joins the Commission with 20 years of experience in government relations, public service, strategic communications, and nonprofit leadership at postsecondary institutions, associations, and nearly two-dozen nonprofit boards and commissions, with a focus on how to improve educational achievement and economic opportunity; enable scientific discovery and technological innovation; and enhance access to higher education in our nation, particularly for those who have the greatest needs. Mr. Schuckman comes to the Commission with the distinction of having been previously appointed to serve as a Commissioner by two former governors in two different states: In 1991, where he was appointed by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles to serve as the student member of the Florida Postsecondary Education Commission, and in 2008, where he was appointed by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to serve as a member of the Education Commission of the States.

As the Assistant Vice President for University Relations and as the Director of Federal Relations and Research Advancement for the University of Central Florida (UCF), the second largest public university in the United States, Mr. Schuckman is a leading advocate for greater federal investments in research, student financial aid, and other programs that enable greater access – and success – for all students who pursue postsecondary education. Through his work on behalf of UCF, Mr. Schuckman serves on the Executive Committees of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities(APLU) Council on Strategic Communications and Advancement; Council on Engagement and Outreach; and Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Economic Prosperity.Mr. Schuckman has also been a forceful advocate for community colleges, having served on the Northern Virginia Community College Board from 2003-2010 and on the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Board of Directors from 2006-2010.

Commissioner Schuckman has been actively engaged in helping those who are educationally, as well as economically, disadvantaged. From his appointment to the Montgomery County Public Schools Parent Advisory Council to serving as an elementary school PTA president to being elected to chair the Alexandria (VA) Human Services Council and Economic Opportunities Commission (a community action board that oversaw the city’s Head Start program, among others), Mr. Schuckman has been committed to ensuring that our children have the best opportunities for success in school. Between 1997-2003, Mr. Schuckman also served on the Board of Advisors for the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans, a national civic education program that is dedicated to inspiring young leaders to a life of active citizenship, and was recognized as an Honorary Alumnus in 1999.

Being a practitioner of active citizenship himself, Mr. Schuckman was selected for the Political Leaders Program at the Thomas C. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia, “a laboratory where future elected officials can examine the complex issues they will face when they assume the reins of government.” In 2002, Mr. Schuckman was decorated with theCommander’s Award for Public Service by the United States Army for “exceptionally meritorious support” rendered to the Army following the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon as part of Operation Noble Eagle.

Commissioner Schuckman earned a Master of Governmental Administration from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida in 1991 and graduated in 2009 from the FBI Citizens’ Academy in Quantico, Virginia.