Executive Board
2020-2021
Shumail Zaidi
Executive Director
Shumail is a 5th year Civil Engineering student at the University of Florida. Shumail first got involved with PD because he was inspired by a story that he was told about someone who went from riches to rags. This inspired him to want to help those who were underserved because you never know who could be struck my calamity and cause them to be in need. He thinks that Project Downtown is one of the ways to not only help those who are underserved but also help to really understand those who are homeless. With the amount of volunteers that come out he hopes to increase PD morning to twice a month and help the new volunteers experience more than they see at service hoping that they too want to help PD grow.
Urmeen Mansoor
Internal Coordinator
Urmeen Mansoor is a Gainesville native and a senior majoring in Anthropology, History, and Geography. Urmeen has been part of Project Downtown for over a year now and is inspired by the impact that helping Gainesville’s underserved has on its entire community. She believes that Project Downtown is a unique and personal organization that has the ability to spread kindness and positivity in the lives of individuals, along with everyone involved. In her free time, you can find Urmeen cooking, running, or at the farmers market.
Iftishamul Nihal
Treasurer
Iftishamul Nihal, who goes by Ifti, is a second year Industrial Engineering student at the University of Florida. Ifti first got involved with Project Downtown while he was in highschool on trips to visit his brother in Gainesville who happened to be PD Director. Through his early involvement with the organization, he fell in love with its values and its impact on the Gainesville community. He thinks that Gainesville is a special place because the community is made up of people that come here from all over, and he believes that Project Downtown gives the community a special way to leave an impact on this city while we have the pleasure to be here. When he’s not working with Project Downtown, you can find Ifti playing soccer, cooking, and stargazing at Paynes Prairie.
Shoba Abraham
Outreach Coordinator
Shoba is a junior studying biochemistry at the University of Florida
Wasiq Rashid
Secretary
Wasiq is a third-year biomedical engineering student at the University of Florida, and he is honored to serve as this year’s secretary for Project Downtown. He has been a part of the organization since his freshman year, and quickly fell in love with the experience. Throughout his time with PD, Wasiq has loved meeting new people with the same passion for giving back to the community. He is a firm believer that even a small gesture can have a significant impact in the lives of others. Wasiq has seen Project Downtown go through many changes over the years, and he is very excited to see where the future of the organization may lead as it continues helping those in need each and every week.