Dr M. Shahid Yousuf Awarded APPNA Gold Medal

Dr M. Shahid Yousuf, a life member of APPNA since 1983, was awarded the most prestigious and highest award, APPNA Gold Medal, at the recently concluded 38th Annual APPNA Summer Convention at Gaylord Resort, Kissimmee, FL.

The ceremony held on August 15th 2015 was attended by over 3000 attendees and included the US Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson and also Pakistani Ambassador to USA Jalil Jilani.

Dr Shahid Yousuf was recognized for his services to APPNA which have included several committees which he headed and was member of including the committees for communications and publications which are responsible for the website and electronic and paper publications. Mostly, he has served in areas for which there is no formal position either elected or appointed e.g. archivist, photo journalist and historian. He has captured many memorable moments of APPNA in photos which are periodically used in publications.

Dr Arif Toor, former APPNA President and also Gold Medal winner himself, announced the citation for which he has historically been chosen. The presenting of this award to Dr Shahid Yousuf also marks a milestone in that not only high elected office holders such as Presidents but that rank and file members and foot soldiers of this organization are held in high honor. Dr Mubasher Rana (CA) , APPNA President 2015, presented the Gold Medal to Dr Yousuf who is also a current member of Dr Rana's current cabinet being the Chair of the Communications Committee. Overcome by emotion, Dr Yousuf was unable to address the audience but for a brief moment in which he thanked APPNA.

Dr Shahid Yousuf has periodically written for Pakistan Link over the years. He remains active within his Michigan Chapter of APPNA where he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He is a Dow Medical College Karachi graduate of 1975 and a practicing psychiatrist relocating to Miami, FL this year.

APPNA is a 501C3 professional and charitable organization with contributions and services over several decades and has included events such as the 2004 Tsunami, 2005 Pakistan earthquake, Katrina, Haiti earthquake, 2010 Pakistani floods, Karachi 2015 Heat Wave as well as Nepal earthquake of 2015.  Dr Yousuf currently serves on the SWDRC (Social Welfare and Disaster Relief Committee 2015) chaired by Dr Aisha Zafar (IN).