Meet the Team

Staff

Christopher Hartsfield

CS' Programs Director

Bio

Christopher Hartsfield became CS' Programs Director in January 2020, overseeing daily direct service for nearly 400 children and youth as well as single-day programming for thousands of children and community members. From 2015 - 2018, Christopher led CS' Outdoor Play programming for 7-24-year-olds, including teaching after school children and youth interns how to co-lead cycling adventures, fitness circuits and testing, JungleGym (CS' obstacle race and active-living fair), and over 35 single-day play events per year. In 2019, Christopher transitioned to Programs Manager, leading program service delivery for CS’ Outdoor Leadership Academy - Summer Youth Employment Program and expanded its City Surfers After School Program. Christopher earned a B.S in Health & Physical Education from Elizabeth City State University, and has a Wilderness First Aid Certification from SOLO, a Middle Manager Certificate from the American Camp Association, and Outdoor Leadership Training from the Appalachian Mountain Club's Youth Opportunities Program. In 2019, Christopher completed the Developing Leaders Program for Nonprofit Professionals at Columbia Business School and the Family Development Credential for Leaders with the NYC Department of Youth. Prior to joining CS, Christopher was a fitness coach and floor trainer at the YMCA Armory in Park Slope instructing 4-18-year-olds in various sports classes and the youth basketball league. He is a licensed security and fire brigade officer, and demonstrates a serious commitment to safety.

Claire Farnan

CS' Garden + Special Projects Coordinator

Bio

Claire Farnan, CS' Garden & Special Projects Coordinator, joined our team in 2019 and has since led garden workshops, trainings, and events for after schoolers, interns, school and camp groups, and volunteers. She oversees summer internship projects for all cohorts, and helps to design and implement single-day garden-based events. She earned a BS in Environmental Science from Stonehill College where she was a Research Scholar. Claire was an active volunteer in land restoration and seasonal planting and distribution of fruits and vegetables for 200 hours at The Farm at Stonehill. She was also the President of the Food Truth Club at Stonehill, advocating for the incorporation of organic produce to be purchased by the university, and for a greener system of take-away food from the cafeteria. She co-facilitated a one-credit course on food inequalities and the modern-day food system. Claire coaches gymnastics, cycles, and is a trapeze artist outside of work.

Mac Levine, MPH

Founding Executive Director

Bio

Executive Director Mac Levine, MPH, founded CS in 2008 with 16 East Harlem children, and has since grown the organization to serve over 16,000 children, youth, and families. She earned a Masters of Public Health from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in the Built Environment Track, where she won the John and Kathleen Gorman Public Health Humanitarian Award. Mac also graduated cum laude from Northeastern University with a bachelor's degree in music industry and a minor in sociology. She is an active member of the Human Service Consortium of East Harlem and The Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine’s Community Advisory Board. Mac is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School. She holds a Camp Director Certificate of Added Qualification from the American Camp Association. She was recognized in CUNY's 2017 Class of 40 Under 40: The Rising Stars in New York City Food Policy. She has guest lectured at Columbia University, New York University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The New School, and Northeastern University, and presented at the Just Food Conference, and the American Community Gardening Association. She is a co-author of "Closing Health Disparities Through A Multi-Level Approach," published in the International Journal of Child and Human Development as well as in the book Environmental Health Disparities: Costs & Benefits of Breaking the Cycle in 2016. Mac was the first solo female to stand-up paddle (SUP) the Hudson River Water Trail without assistance from Albany to Manhattan in June 2014, and the first person to SUP all five boroughs on the NYC Water Trail in 2015. She has completed the NYC Skate Marathon twice.

Alexis Tovar

Volunteer Project Coordinator

Bio

Alexis Tovar is CS’ Volunteer Project Coordinator and a 2020/21 NYC Civic Corps Member. He is responsible for volunteer onboarding, communications, and suport. He studied Communications at the State University of New York at Potsdam. He has done volunteer work with the Potsdam Humane Society helping with their events and their organization’s projects. Alexis loves to stay active with many outdoor activities such as cycling, ice skating, basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee. He takes on many personal projects from painting, poetry and learning how to play piano. One of his goals for the upcoming year is to learn basic sign language and eventually learn how to communicate through sign language.

Tony Zisa

Consulting Fiscal Manager

Bio

Tony Zisa is a nonprofit finance and management consulting professional with 20 years’ experience working with a variety of not-for-profit agencies that are diverse in both mission and complexity. As the principal of the BAI Group, Inc., he has focused on helping organizations expand capacity and competency. Mr. Zisa graduated from Fordham University. Tony loves the ocean, mountains, and nature at a distance.

Youth Committee 2021

Michelle

Marlene

Emliy

Redat

Daniel

*Youth last names are withheld.

Directors & Officers

Chair Michael Woolley, Retired Attorney

Secretary & Evaluation Task Force Lead Naeemah Ruffin, DPM, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Treasurer Anthony Edgar, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

Marketing Task Force Lead Brooke Stover, Native Sales Director, Verizon Media

Mandy DeRoche, Deputy Managing Attorney, Coal Program, Earthjustice

Mac Levine, MPH, Executive Director

Advisory

Leslie Boden, MSUP, Community Health Planning Consultant

Natalie Chacin, Digital Marketing Manager, O.N.S

Tulip Lim, Director, S&P Global Ratings

Priscilla Ma, Head of Sales and Business Development, PayQwick

Malisa Mccreedy, AICP, Director of Transportation & Mobility, City of Gainesville, Florida

Michelle Ramos-Lopez, MPH, Program Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Perry Sheffield, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Preventative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai