Induction Class of 2009

Class of 1977

Greg was named First Team All League in soccer in 1976 and 1978, while being named All State in 1976. He played baseball and was named All League in 1976.

In college, Greg played for the University of Florida as a three year player and three year letterman where he graduated with a B.S. degree in marketing. He was drafted by the St. Louis Steamers professional indoor team in 1981 and played on Team USA in 1982.

For the past 20 years, Greg is the owner of Soccer Village . He was head coach of the Cincinnati Cheetahs from 1994-1996 and has coached youth soccer for 19 years. He was a Kwick Goal Advisory Board member. Greg is moderator for the Soccer College Night which presented the recruiting process for high school students who would like to pursue college level soccer. He is also the director of Greg Deutsch’s Goalkeeper Camp.

Greg’s High School Stats:

Varsity Letters: Baseball (junior, senior), Soccer (sophomore, junior, senior)

Team Soccer League Title 1974, 1976

Team State Soccer Title 1974, 1976

Team Baseball Soccer Title 1976

Earned All-League, All-City and All-State honors for Soccer 1976

Class of 1964

Richard graduated with a B.A. from the University of Texas (Austin) in 1968, then received his J.D. at Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law in 1975. While at NKU he was class president and was the winner of two book awards for highest grades.

He was admitted to the practice of law State of Ohio in 1975, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (1975), United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (1976), United States Supreme Court (1981), United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (1984) and United States Texas Court (1976). He practiced law for almost 21 years as a trial lawyer. He was appointed as the first full-time magistrate in the Court of Common Pleas (General Division) of Hamilton County, Ohio on January 1, 1996. From that time, until he was appointed to the Hamilton County Municipal court, he presided over a large number of non jury trials. He resigned as Magistrate on December 21, 2006 after being appointed Judge of the Hamilton County Municipal Court.

Richard was seminar chairman and moderator of a 1992 Seminar on Search and Seizure “The Fourth Amendment, Still a Potent Weapon for the Defense.” In addition to presenting seminars, he has been a moderator and panelist.

His Honor is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association and Ohio State Bar Association, was a member of the Ohio Association of Magistrates from 1996-2006, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Association of Magistrates from 2003-2006. He was practice chair for the Common Pleas/ Appellate section of the Ohio Association of Magistrates from 2003-2006.

In 1985, Richard was elected to the Northwest Board of Education for a four year term, serving as its president in 1989. He was appointed to the Hamilton County Board of Zoning Appeals beginning January 1, 1990, serving until November, 1994 when Colerain Township passed local zoning. He has been a member of the Forest Park Kiwanis Club. In 1999, his peers of the Chase Law School Alumni Association elected him president. He has been very involved in the Finneytown High School reunions for the Class of 1964, helping to organize successful class reunions.

All-Star Educator

Merce claims not to have an illustrious life as her family was her life. But to those who know Merce, she is family to many.

She grew up in Highland Park, Michigan, graduating from Highland Park High School and attended Highland Park Junior College.

She began working at an engineering company where she met her husband Bill. After they married, the couple moved to Chicago where Merce had her first child, a daughter who died after 4 years. Bill was transferred to Peoria where the family grew by two more children—Bill and Mark. Then it was back to Michigan and another child, Greg, was born. After two years the family was transferred to Cincinnati and two more children, Carol and Jeff, arrived. While the children went through school at Whitaker, Merce volunteered until Louise Seldon, district communications, told Merce that principal Julia Klinchok was looking for an aide at Cottonwood.

After almost two years, she started teaching computer classes on Radio Shack computers. When the secretary retired, Merce applied for the job.

She remained at Cottonwood for 24 years of her 36 years serving the district. Merce retired in June, 2009.

All-Star Instructor

Dr. Steiden spent 45 years in education. He was a high school principal for 26 of those years. He spent 36 years of active duty and active reserves in the United States Army. Now retired, he holds the rank of Colonel.

While finishing his doctoral work at the University of Kentucky in the spring of 1969, he became aware that the principal position at Finneytown High School was open to applicants. Already a Finneytown resident, he applied for the position and was accepted by the Board of Education.

From the beginning, he met with the Department Chairs to form a decision-making group and worked toward program improvement.

Under Dr. Steiden’s leadership programs and opportunities were created for students including but not limited to self-scheduling, open campus privileges, independent study for juniors and seniors, and “campus freedom” (visiting the Student Commons, or just sitting outside on the benches instead of a study hall). One of the first video cameras for school use was purchased under Dr. Steiden’s tenure.

While principal, Finneytown High School experienced a transformation and growth where the expectation was for students to become responsible citizens and to earn the opportunities and privileges that were given to them.

Dr. Steiden says “The feedback from our graduates who went on to college or entered the adult world in other capacities was encouraging and gratifying.” As one graduate said upon entering college, “I knew how to be responsible and pursue my studies.”

Dr. Steiden passed away on February 14, 2019.

Dr. Steiden credits parental involvement from the onset and its continuation throughout their children’s years in the high school as a key to the ongoing refinement of curriculum and instructional strategies used at the high school.

Class of 1975

Scott has lived in Finneytown most of his life. His parents, Alex and “Boots,” moved to Finneytown in 1955. His father still lives in the house on Elmtree Avenue where Scott grew up with his sister Bonnie (FHS 1962), brother Jeff (FHS 1970) and twin brother Greg (FHS 1975). Scott attended Cottonwood Elementary School before moving on to Finneytown Junior and Senior High School. In high school, Scott earned junior varsity letters in baseball and basketball and three varsity letters in football. He was Co-Captain of the football team his senior year. He also participated in Student Council, Concert Choir, F-Club and was Class President his Freshman, Junior and Senior years. As Senior Class President, he initiated the Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund which raised $2,500 in scholarship awards for his classmates. In recognition of his service and leadership, Scott received the Finneytown Boosters Scholarship and the Kiwanis Club Outstanding Senior Award.

After graduating from Finneytown, Scott attended Miami University and earned a Bachelor’s in Education (1979). He also has a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Cincinnati (1986) and a Master’s in Education in Human Resource Development from Xavier University (1994).

Scott is a life-long member of Northminster Presbyterian Church where he was baptized in 1958. He is an ordained Presbyterian Elder and has led or served on the Strategic Planning, Stewardship, Fellowship, Nominating, and Evangelism committees. While Scott was serving as Northminster’s youth director he met his wife, Lynne. Scott and Lynne were married in 1985. From 1986 through 1989 they served as house parents at the Burns Home for Youth - a foster care facility for teenage boys sponsored by 7 local churches and the Hamilton County Juvenile Courts.

Scott and Lynne have four sons – Dan (FHS 2005), David (FHS 2007), Michael (FHS 2009) and Thomas who is in the 8th grade (FHS 2014). Through their interests in sports, Scott has had a chance to coach more than 20 soccer and basketball teams. He and his family organized the “Wildcat Pride” Basketball Tournament that raised $7,800 in 6 years for FAA Basketball. Scott has also helped organize the Sports Kick-off Event for the last 7 years. He has been the “Voice of the Wildcats” announcing the varsity football games for the last 6 seasons. In 2004, Scott received the “Champions Award” from the Athletic Department and this past August he also received the PTA Friend of Children Award.

For the past 20 years, Scott has led or worked in training departments at Fifth-Third Bank, Cinergy, Fidelity Investments, and Convergys Corporation. Currently, he is a Leadership Development Strategist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He is also serving as Vice President on the Executive Board of the Camp Joy Outdoor Education Center.

Class of 1993

While attending Finneytown High School played soccer for four years, and was co-captain of the 1992-1993 team. He served as vice president of student council, was a sports medicine trainer and was a staff member of the yearbook, all while participating in band, chorus and orchestra. While taking the Community Service class, Randy chose the Northern Hills Fire Department (now the Springfield Township Fire Department) as his class project. When he turned 18 in his senior year, he joined the department as a volunteer, and is now a lifetime firefighter/paramedic.

Randy graduated from University of Cincinnati Fire Science Program and enrolled in Jacksonville State University to major in Emergency Management. He is presently a Lieutenant on the Springfield Township Fire Department. He developed a fire prevention program for the department including the Kids Fire Academy which is held every summer. He helped to start a dorm safety awareness program which teaches high school seniors about fire safety for their dorms at college.

Additionally, Randy works with area children in athletics as a coach for the S.A.Y. soccer program and has served as a board member of the Finneytown Athletic Association soccer board.

Randy is a volunteer for the Cincinnati Area Red Cross Disaster Team and volunteers on the American Red Cross/Cincinnati Academy of Medicine special Medical Mass Casualty Team (MAT).

Randy is an Ohio certified Level II Firefighter, nationally registered paramedic, Fire Instructor, Fire Safety Inspector and a Community Emergency Response Team instructor.

He has won the American Red Cross National Headquarters Health and Safety Award and the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Award for Community Service. He has a Sons of the American Revolution Fire Safety Commendation Award which is the only award approved to be worn on a fire department’s dress uniform. Recently, Randy received the Syrian Shrine Burn Prevention Award.