“I am resigning from my position as Associate Dean of Students/Director of Residential Life and Dining Services,” Kim LaFond wrote in an e-mail addressed to residence assistants on Friday. “It is my decision that I shall resign my position effective October 15, 2004.”

LaFond has served as director of ResLife for the last four years and has overseen a period of great change in residential living on campus. He is leaving Oberlin to serve as property manager with Cooper Square Realty in New York City.

“It really hasn’t been sudden,” LaFond said of his resignation. “My partner and I bought a co-op apartment in New York City four years ago. I’ve been wanting to move back to New York for some time.”

LaFond described how he got this new position.

“This job just came up,” he said. “They called me 10 days ago. I had the interview on the 13th and they called me on the 14th and offered me the job.”

His departure has caused some ripples throughout the school administration.

“Due to the timing and tightness of the schedule caused by his imminent departure we have chosen an interim director to replace him until we can conduct a search,” said Acting Dean of Students Linda Gates.

Molly Tyson, who will serve as director of ResLife, has experience as director of residential housing at Cleveland State University, the University of Toledo and the University of Findlay.

When he started in 2001, LaFond modified the residential advisor position. “We gave [RAs] a much stronger role in the buildings and streamlined the position. We also changed the title to RA. It used to be [Residential Coordinator],” said LaFond. “We brought along the [Residential Director] position. Before we had many more professional positions. Now we have one person per building.”

Some other major changes in the ResLife administration during LaFond’s four years as director include changing the dining services from Sodexho Mariott to Bon Appetit in 2001, changing Zekiel from an all-male residence to co-ed, and introducing gender neutral doubles in Noah this year.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Kim and I will miss him,” Gates said. “He has been a good friend, an excellent administrator and a committed director. We will all miss his sense of humor. He could always make me laugh whether he means to or not.”