DIANE SAMUELS AND HENRY REESE | PHOTO BY MARTHA RIAL

Henry Reese, the co-founder of City of Asylum, a refuge for persecuted writers on the North Side, is stepping down from his top leadership role at a time when operations have rebounded from the pandemic and new initiatives are underway.

He will be handing the baton as chair of the board of directors over to Kevin McKeegan, who currently fills the chair of the Governance Committee. Reese will continue to serve on the board with his wife and co-founder, Diane Samuels.

The couple co-founded City of Asylum in 2004, hosting their first writer, Huang Xiang after he had been imprisoned for speaking against China’s Communist regime.

City of Asylum is currently hosting seven writers-in-residence, audiences have returned to pre-pandemic levels and finances are in good shape, according to a release about the leadership change. “Now is the perfect time for Diane and me to step down from leadership of City of Asylum,” Reese, in his mid-70s, said in a statement.

Two big projects are underway, including efforts to have Pittsburgh named a UNESCO City of Literature. This title is awarded to cities that pursue excellence in literature. Globally, 53 cities hold this title, including only two in the United States — Seattle and Iowa City, Iowa.

More than 40 other Pittsburgh literary organizations are working on the competitive application alongside City of Asylum, McKeegan said in an interview. “Part of what we want to do as Pittsburghers is make sure everyone understands how important Pittsburgh is in the literary world.”

City of Asylum Pittsburgh along with the International City of Refuge Network will host the Creative Summit of the International Cities of Asylum Network this May in Pittsburgh. The focus of the event will be on how to protect the freedom of creative expression. The summit is expected to bring in around 20-30 writers. The event will include public programs for the community to engage with the visiting writers.

“What we have is owed primarily to Henry and Diane and we really just want to continue the good work that they have started,” he said.

McKeegan has served on the board since 2022 and started providing pro bono legal services to the organization in 2011 on a zoning issue for City of Asylum’s Alphabet Reading Garden and Alphabet City. He also currently serves as an Indiana Township Planning Commission member.

In his legal work, he was the managing partner for Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP. He also has been the chair of the Community College of Allegheny County Educational Foundation Board since 2023 and served on the Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review.