After her third semester in the post, Kirkland House’s Senior Tutor is leaving to take a position with an international bank based in Washington, D.C., according to two e-mail messages sent to House residents yesterday.

Coral Fernandez-Illescas will step down at the end of January to work for the Inter-American Development Bank, which funds development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“I have truly enjoyed being a senior tutor at Kirkland and a lecturer on engineering sciences for the last 2 years,” Fernandez-Illescas wrote in an e-mail. “I have very much liked what has been an incredibly fascinating and rewarding job.”

Assistant Senior Tutor John Walsh will serve as acting senior tutor for the spring semester, and resident tutor Sharrona Pearl will serve as Assistant Senior Tutor.

“I feel very comfortable because it’s a House with strong leadership now and the masters seem to have identified somebody who has the respect of both students and other tutors,” said Associate Dean of the College Thomas A. Dingman ’67. “That’s a very lucky situation for us—I think we’re blessed.”

Dingman said Fernandez-Illescas is “appreciated by the students and staff” in Kirkland.

“She’s been a great advocate for all of us,” Kirkland House Committee President Adam Kalamchi ’04 said. “I’m also really happy for her, she seems happy and I think that’s going to be a great move for her.”

Walsh said he had a good working relationship with Fernandez-Illescas.

“In a way it’s kind of sad, because she was catching her stride,” he said. “She taught me a lot about meeting with individual students, students that maybe wouldn’t seek people out.”

Kalamchi said he is confident that the House is “in good hands.”

“We’re also really lucky to have John around to keep things running smoothly,” he said. “He knows everyone in the House, he’s just a really generous and warm guy.”

Fernandez-Illescas also lent Walsh her support.

“I have also been very impressed with my interactions with John Walsh, and have complete confidence in his abilities as a senior tutor,” she wrote.

A Revolving Door

Fernandez-Illescas will be Kirkland’s second consecutive senior tutor to leave before completing her appointed three year term.