Administration

Kathleen Zimmermann

Executive Director

Kathleen Zimmermann became the Executive Director of NYOS Charter School in 2009. Before joining NYOS, Kathleen spent many years in education, operations, and financial management roles. Kathleen holds a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Julie Atchley
Chief of Schools

Julie Atchley joined NYOS Charter School in 2005 and served as the middle school/high school principal for seven years. She has more than 25 years of experience in education and more than 20 years of experience in administrative leadership. Julie holds a Master of Educational Administration from Texas State University and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Oklahoma State University.

Terry Berkenhoff
Elementary Principal

Terry Berkenhoff joined NYOS Charter School in 2007 as the Elementary Principal. Throughout her professional career, she has served in a variety of education roles including classroom teacher, curriculum specialist, assistant principal and principal. She holds a Master of Educational Administration from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University.

Lauren Benoit

Secondary Principal

Lauren Benoit joined NYOS Charter School in 2021, initially as a Secondary Assistant Principal before becoming the Secondary Principal in 2022. Prior to her time at NYOS, Lauren worked as a middle school science teacher in Austin ISD and was named Teacher of the Year three times in both Austin ISD and Elgin ISD. She also served as an Assistant Principal at Elgin Middle School and as the Manager of Student Support for the UTeach Institute. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Science from the University of Texas at Austin's UTeach program and and a Master of Education from Concordia University.

Kendra Shelton

Director of Business Services

Kendra Shelton joined NYOS Charter School in 2022. Since moving to Austin in 2009, she has provided audit and consulting services for the Texas State Auditor’s Office, University of Texas System, and Texas Education Agency. Kendra is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and a Master's of Accounting from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.