Our Team

Samantha Farah
Director, Food Systems
sfarah@crim.org

Samantha Farah is a proud product of the Flint Community Schools. While attending Michigan State University, she had a food systems internship in Flint, which inspired her to continue working in the community. Samantha has worked in urban agriculture and community food systems for nearly a decade. She is passionate about Flint and hopes to continue working to ensure Flint residents have equitable access to healthy food and healthy communities. In her free time, Samantha volunteers in gardens and loves to grow food with her community.

Cade Surface
Director of Urban Strategies
csurface@crim.org

Cade Surface is an urban designer and longtime resident of Flint. He started his journey with the Crim in 2013 as an Intern serving at D.T.M. School, and spent the past decade working with the Crim to reverse the catastrophic economic, social, environmental, and civic damage done to our region by sprawl and segregation. Cade is an enthusiastic supporter of walkable urbanism, and believes that our cities are our best chance of knowing and loving one another. Before joining the Crim Fitness Foundation, Cade served two terms as a LISC AmeriCorps service member and studied planning, design, and music at the University of Michigan-Flint and Wayne State University.

Marla Hughes
Nutrition Manager
mhughes@crim.org

Marla, born and raised in Flint, is a Nutrition Program Coordinator. She studied with Institute for Integrative Nutrition where she earned her certification as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Marla has more than 15 years in the Early Childhood Education field, and earned her Child Development Associate. She has a passion to see children live healthy lives by learning and practicing good nutrition, fitness, and wellness. Marla enjoys running and her very first race experience was the Crim 5k in 2010. She’s been hooked ever since and is now a half and full marathoner. In her spare time, she also enjoys High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), cooking, kayaking, yoga, spending time with her family, traveling, and trying new locally owned restaurants with her husband and friends.

Abrar Morsi
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Impact/Admin Specialist
amorsi@crim.org

Abrar, a Flint native, earned her Master’s Degree in Public Health and a Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Michigan Flint. During her graduate studies, she developed a passion for improving the health and well-being of her community through education and change. She has worked in both the Healthcare Administration and Public Health fields in Flint and is grateful to have the opportunity to continue to serve the community. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her loved ones, traveling, biking, and enjoying various cuisines.

Katelyn Crittenden
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Impact
kCrittenden@crim.org

Katelyn Crittenden is a Nutrition Coordinator. Katelyn has been a Type One Insulin Dependent Diabetic for over 24 years and understands the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Katelyn graduated from Central Michigan University where she studied Special Education and English.

Katelyn has worked with people with special needs for over 8 years and she finds fulfillment in engaging and interacting with all types of people. Katelyn has a strong passion for educating adults and children about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and physical activity.

In her spare time, Katelyn enjoys restoring furniture, discovering unique finds at local thrift stores, and spending time with her family and friends.

James Carneiro
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Impact
jcarneiro@crim.org

James hails from the rolling Hill Country of Texas, a place he considers one of the most beautiful places in the world. He graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos with a B.S. in Journalism. Soon after graduating, he moved to his new home of Flint to serve in the AmeriCorps program. Serving in Urban Safety Corps and SchoolCorps acquainted him with this great city, imparted valuable life lessons about what community looks like, and honed communication skills.

He has had a lifelong fascination with urban gardening, accessible nutrition, and sustainable supply chains. He believes these things are key to transforming people’s relationship with food.

When not thinking about those things, he enjoys going to the movies, hiking Michigan’s state parks, and experimenting with different cuisines from around the world.

Sara Duncan
Program Coodrinator, Neighborhood Impact
sduncan@crim.org

Sara graduated from Michigan State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology specializing in Physical Education. Sara has over 10 years experience at the Crim teaching nutrition to youth in the Flint Community, facilitating parent nutrition education programs, and developing and instructing youth physical activity programs. She loves creating positive experiences for youth and their families focused on exercising and healthy eating. Sara is a sports enthusiast, and enjoys spending time with her husband and three boys camping, hunting, traveling, and playing!

Kquaisha Stewart
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Impact
kstewart@crim.org

Kquaisha wears many hats as a fierce promotor of health and well being in Flint and Genesee County. A Beecher High School graduate, she earned her medical assistant certification from Ross Medical School. She then moved away to California where she was inspired by the healthy lifestyle.

Kquaisha returned to Flint on a mission to inspire the community through wellness. She began in the Flintschools. There she put her lovable, upbeat, active personality to use by starting a group class for students and parents. The positive feedback led her to join the Crim Fitness Foundation in 2019. As a Certified Personal Trainer, Sports Nutritionist. Kquaisha is excited to help spread Health knowledge along with Crim as a Nutrition Coordinator.

Chandra Brown
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Impact
cbrown@crim.org

Chandra is a graduate of The Reginald F. Lewis Business College of the HBCU at Virginia State University. She has a Bachelors of Science in Business Management and Human Resources. Most importantly Chandra has a heart and passion for advocating for children. She has over 10 years of experience working with children in various capacities. She has taught, served as a FoodCorps service member, acted as a court appointed advocate (CASA) for children and is a proud member of the moms club herself! Chandra believes that children are the epitome of innocence and that they are our hope for a better future! She is happy to be a Nutrition and Policy, System and Environmental Change Coordinator working in the Flint Community where she can connect with and guide others concerning health and nutrition.

Debria Andrews
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Impact
dandrews@crim.org

Debria is originally from New Orleans, where she graduated from high school and then went to school for Nursing after finishing Nursing school, she had to leave New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. That's when she became a resident of Flint, Michigan and has been a resident since then. She has an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice but found that her love is to work with the community and the love that she has for the children of the community. She was a resident of Atherton East Townhomes where she was working with the community for 7 years before being relocated to Clark Commons. Now she is a CNI coordinator for Clark Commons under the Crim, which she is involved in the community even more. In her spare time she loves to travel with her family and spend most of her time with her children and grandson, and when she is not with them she likes to spend some of her free time just relaxing or thinking about what she should plan next for the community.

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