Ms. Amy Catanzaro
acatanzaro@finneytown.org
Board Member
Term Ends – December 2029
Ms. Amy Catanzaro was elected to the Finneytown Board of Education in November 2025 for a four-year term.
Ms. Catanzaro was born and raised in Dayton, OH, and is a proud graduate of Dayton Public Schools. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Dayton, where she earned a degree in Music Performance. She moved to Cincinnati to work in sales and marketing for the Cincinnati Symphony, where she spent over 20 years before leaving to take a job as a Project Owner for Adage Technologies.
Ms. Catanzaro moved to Finneytown in 2001 to start a family, and she and her husband Bobby have since raised two Finneytown graduates. Her oldest child graduated Valedictorian in 2021 and was involved in the band and athletics. Her middle child graduated near the top of her class in 2024, serving as the Field Commander for the Marching band, in addition to involvement in theatre and athletics. Their youngest is in second grade at Finneytown Elementary, and is involved in music and gymnastics after-school activities.
Ms. Catanzaro has served as the treasurer for FMPA for the past five years and has also volunteered her time with the Secondary PTA. She is excited to take on this new role as Board Member and the new opportunities it presents to help amplify the voices of our community to help our children grow and succeed.
Mr. Chadwick Engleman
cengleman@finneytown.org
Board Member
Term Ends – December 2029
Mr. Chad Engelman was elected to the Finneytown Board of Education in November 2025 for a four-year term.
Mr. Engleman brings decades of leadership, operational expertise, and community-focused service to his role on the Finneytown Local Schools Board of Education. Recently reelected by the community, Chad continues his commitment to strengthening public education through thoughtful governance, fiscal responsibility, and long-term planning.
Professionally, Chad spent more than 10 years as General Manager of multiple manufacturing companies and has over 29 years of experience in the entertainment and live events industry. His career includes senior leadership roles such as Technical Director, Production Manager, and Operations Manager for respected organizations, including opera companies, regional theaters, cultural institutions, and large-scale attractions across the United States and abroad.
Chad’s work has been recognized by institutions such as his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, where he has served as a guest lecturer, as well as by national professional organizations that have invited him to present on industry panels. His client portfolio includes internationally recognized brands and public institutions, reflecting a career built on collaboration, accountability, and the delivery of complex projects on time and within budget.
First elected to the Finneytown Local Schools Board of Education in 2017, Chad served as Board President beginning in 2021. During his tenure, he led the successful passage of a $28 million bond issue to fund the construction of two new school buildings—one of which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget—demonstrating his commitment to the transparent stewardship of taxpayer resources.
Beyond the school district, Chad has served on the Board of Directors for the Stuart S. Cooper Building Fund, Inc., and has contributed to numerous local initiatives, including township planning committees and student-focused programs. His continued public service reflects a belief that strong schools are foundational to strong communities.
Mr. Seth Plaut
splaut@finneytown.org
Board President
Term ends – December 2027
Mr. Seth Plaut was elected to the Finneytown Board of Education in November 2023 for a 4-year term.
Mr. Plaut graduated from Finneytown in 1994 and went on to attend the University of Cincinnati where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication in 1998. After working for the CAA, YMCA and even a year as a substitute teacher in our district, Mr. Plaut found a career as an electrician. He finished his apprenticeship in 2009. He is currently working in Traffic Services in the City of Cincinnati.
Three of Mr. Plaut’s children have graduated from Finneytown. He still has children attending the district. They are involved in marching band, student council, Girl Scouts, and a variety of youth sports. His wife, Joy, is heavily involved with the ES PTA and FMPA.
Mrs. Maggie Laird
mlaird@finneytown.org
Board Member
Term Ends – December 2029
Mrs. Maggie Laird was elected to the Finneytown Board of Education in November 2025 for a four-year term.
I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Growing up I was very active in my youth group at Corpus Christi Church. My parents, older sisters, and community members instilled in me the early seeds of faith and love for others, especially those less fortunate than me. I attended elementary school at St. Bartholomew on Winton Rd. In middle school, I took a keen interest in the homeless of Cincinnati and the organizations that serve them. I also studied the Underground Railroad in Cincinnati extensively. I was brought up to have compassion for others and to keep an eye out for the wrongs of oppression in my community and city. In high school (Ursuline Academy ‘92), I took on leadership positions with Kairos, a spiritual retreat reflecting on my relationship with God, myself, and others. These themes have always been a part of my life, leading up to now. I will bring them into my work as a board member, in which I conduct school business in the best interests of Finneytown students, families & educators.
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology in ’97. My first job out of college was with the Freestore Foodbank until moving to central Florida in ’98. While living in Florida and Tennessee, I earned my Master’s in Elementary Education in ’04 from the University of Phoenix Online. Between ’99-’22 I taught students from the ages of 2 years – 8th grade in private and public schools. Most recently, I was a substitute teacher at Brent and Whitaker in Finneytown schools from 2015-2022. I have been fortunate to volunteer alongside other Finneytown parents, teachers, administrators & community members since 2008. I have dipped my toes in nearly every Finneytown volunteer organization and have been active in the leadership of the Elementary PTA (President & VP), Finneytown Music Parents Association (VP) & Finneytown Athletic Boosters (President). Additionally, I am a frequent blood donor with Hoxworth and volunteer with Cancer Free Kids.
I have been married to Phillip for almost 28 years. We have 3 children, 2 of which have graduated from Finneytown; Alex – Class of ’21, Grady – class of ’24 & Daphne – class of ’28. We are grateful to Finneytown schools for the experiences and life lessons they have provided for our children and family. Through the good times and bad, Finneytown has shown us what community really means and how integral public schools are to our community and communities across the country. We have had the pleasure of meeting people from a variety of backgrounds and we are enriched because of it. I am grateful for my school experiences in my youth; yet, despite my private school upbringing, I am keenly aware of the current plight of public schools and will always do what I can to advocate for them. I am eager to bring my experiences and passion to the Finneytown Board of Education and motivated to work alongside the rest of the board in the years to come.
Go Wildcats! Finneytown Forever!
Mr. James Edward (Eddie) Reeb Jr.
jreeb@finneytown.org
Board Vice-President
Term ends – December 2027
Mr. James Reeb was appointed to the board in October 2021 to take over a vacated board seat until December 2023. In November 2023, Mr. Reeb was elected to a four-year term on the board, which began in January 2024.
Mr. Reeb is a lifelong resident of Finneytown. He attended Finneytown Schools (Whitaker, Brent, Cottonwood, and the Secondary Campus) for kindergarten through twelfth grade and graduated Salutatorian from Finneytown High School in 2014. His wife, Rebecca (Huff), graduated from Finneytown in the same year. In high school, Mr. Reeb played saxophone in marching band and bassoon in concert band. His favorite classes in high school were Honors and AP Biology with Mr. Breines, Government with Mr. Behm, Art History with Ms. Althoff, and Media class with Mr. Shawn Maus. Mr. Reeb was the lighting designer for five theatrical shows, served as Student Council Secretary for three years, and participated in Young Life.
After high school, he went on to study at Hillsdale College in Michigan, graduating in December 2017 with a major in Politics and minor in Latin. During college, he and his wife were active volunteers with Young Life and their church. In 2019, he substitute-taught at Finneytown Secondary Campus before being hired for a full-time teaching position at another district. Mr. Reeb currently is employed as a high school social studies teacher in the Education College at Ignite Institute (Boone County Schools – KY) and graduated with a master’s degree in teaching (MAT) from Northern Kentucky University in May 2024. His family attends Red Door Church in Forest Park.
Mr. Reeb’s brother graduated from Finneytown in 2022 and his brother-in-law is in twelfth grade in the high school. His wife also has two other siblings and cousins who graduated from Finneytown. In January 2024, Mr. Reeb and his wife have three children.
Mr. Reeb is looking forward to continuing to contribute his experience as a teacher and alumnus to the board over the duration of his current term.