Who we are
Our staff and volunteers train the incarcerated in journalistic tools and platforms to tell their stories, build professional skills, and highlight the real impact of public policy on their lives and communities.
Our Team
Jesse Vasquez, Executive Director
Jesse Vasquez is the executive director of Pollen Initiative. He was editor in chief of San Quentin News from 2017 until he was paroled in 2019. Since then he has served as the strategic advisor for San Quentin News, ForwardThis Productions and Change Talk podcast. Jesse sits on the Governor’s advisory council to transform San Quentin into an innovative rehabilitation center.
Kate McQueen, Editorial Director
Kate is a writer and editor who specializes in literary journalism, with a focus on narratives of crime and justice. She holds a Ph.D. in literature from Stanford University and a master’s degree in journalism from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining Pollen, Kate served as an editorial advisor for San Quentin News’s magazine, Wall City, and as the managing editor for Prison Journalism Project’s newspaper, PJP Inside. Her writing on criminal justice issues and prison journalism has appeared in the Atavist, Alta Journal, Next City, JSTOR Daily, Journalism History, and Literary Journalism Studies.
Veronica Roseborough, Communications Coordinator
Veronica Roseborough is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied media, the legal system and their intertwinement. A journalist in her own right, Veronica has served in varying capacities as both a writer and an editor for the Los Angeles Times, The Hill, the San Francisco Examiner, The Daily Californian and the San Mateo Daily Journal. Veronica has been volunteering with Pollen Initiative for three years and is excited to join the team in their mission to rewrite the narrative of incarceration from the perspective of those experiencing it.
JoyBelle Phelan, Project Coordinator
JoyBelle Phelan serves as Project Coordinator for the American Penal Press Contest with the Pollen Initiative, supporting a national effort to recognize and elevate excellence in prison journalism. In this role, she leads the development of submission systems, judge workflows, and publication tracking infrastructure for a growing network of prison newsrooms across the country. She is also the Executive Director and co-founder of Unbound Authors, where she is building a statewide prison newspaper, Messenger Quarterly, as part of Mercury Mountain Media’s expanding publishing platform. She also contributes to public storytelling as a Features Host with Colorado Radio for Justice.
Volunteers
Board of Directors
Jon Spurlock, President
Jon is the founder and former director of the Friends of San Quentin News and continues to serve as an advisor to FoSQN and its new parent organization, Pollen Initiative. Jon is a US Navy veteran and has since held various roles in business and technology management.
Richard "Bonaru" Richardson, Vice President
Richard Bonaru Richardson served on the San Quentin News staff from 2008 to 2021, holding many positions including the role of editor-in-chief. He graduated from Mount Tamalpais College in 2012. Bonaru currently works as communications associate at Mount Tamalpais College.
Amanda Weitman, Secretary
Amanda Weitman has been in the financial services industry for 40 years primarily in Wealth Management. She has a passion for the philanthropic sector. She is currently in a doctoral program at the Lilly Family School focusing on the impact that non-profit programs inside and outside of prison have on recidivism rates.
Gregg Smith, Treasurer
After graduating UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Accounting, Gregg went to work in SF for the Big 8 CPA firm of Ernst & Ernst. In 1986 Gregg’s interest in financial planning lead him to investment advisory as well as public accounting.