Who We Are
Executive Leadership
Executive Director
Jesse Vasquez
Jesse Vasquez is the founder 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.
Editorial Director
Kate McQueen
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 the Pollen team, 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 Alta Journal, Next City, JSTOR Daily, Journalism History, and Literary Journalism Studies. Kate is also on the University of California, Santa Cruz faculty.
Board of Directors
President
Jon Spurlock
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.
Vice President
Richard "Bonaru" Richardson
Richard Bonaru Richardson was born on February 7, 1973, in East Los Angeles California. He was editor-in-chief for the San Quentin News and worked as a staff member from 2008 to 2021 and graduated from Mount Tamalpais College in 2012. Bonaru is now a staff member at Mount Tamalpais College.
Secretary
Amanda Weitman
Amanda 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.
Treasurer
Gregg Smith
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.
