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PROJECT DOWNTOWN GAINESVILLE, INC.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
Executive Board
2020-2021
Wasiq Rashid
Executive Director
Wasiq is a senior majoring in biomedical engineering at the University of Florida, and he is honored to serve as this year’s director 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 on 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.
Baazil Aslam
Internal Coordinator
Baazil is a third year Industrial and Systems Engineering student at the University of Florida and is excited to serve as Internal Coordinator for Project Downtown. He was first introduced to Project Downtown as a freshman, where he attended a few City Hall services prior to the pandemic. Amidst the pandemic, he regularly attended GRACE Marketplace services and was eager to have a greater impact on the organization. What he loved most about both types of services was the sense of community amongst and between the Project Downtown volunteers and the underserved population of Gainesville. Aside from Project Downtown, Baazil loves rock climbing, photography, and meeting new people.
Iftishamul Nihal
Treasurer
Iftishamul Nihal, who goes by Ifti, is a third 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.
Jumanah Khan
Outreach Coordinator
Jumanah is a third year Economics student at the University of Florida and is thrilled to be the Outreach Coordinator for Project Downtown. As a Gainesville native, she grew up hearing about PD and all the great work they do for the local homeless community. Once she started college, she became involved first through PD Morning services and from there she attended City Hall & Grace Marketplace services even when there was uncertainty due to the pandemic. Being able to make such a direct impact on the lives of people in the Gainesville community is what drew her to PD and lead to her involvement in this amazing organization. The aspects of PD that she loves are how it brings people together for the purpose of helping others, being able to connect with the underserved population of Gainesville and that she gets to give back to her hometown community.
Vice President