Experience RePublic: Our Voice, Our Story, Our Connection
At RePublic Schools, it is essential to uplift the voices of our scholars and staff, share the stories that change lives, and highlight the connection that allows us to advance our mission of love, achievement, and belonging. In the Our Voice, Our Story, Our Connection series, you will hear from scholars, staff, and school leaders about why they continue to choose RePublic each day. We had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Trey Vernaci, who was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer for RePublic Schools. In our conversation, he recounted his story and highlighted the operational influence he has had on our schools.
Tell us a little about your background with RePublic Schools. When did you begin, what brought you to RePublic Schools, and what keeps you motivated to lead in love, achievement, and belonging?
I joined RePublic Schools in 2016, drawn by the opportunity to do meaningful work in a region that raised me, the Deep South. I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and attended a Title I public school where expectations were high and outcomes were strong. When I moved to Jackson and later began working across Nashville and Mississippi, I saw firsthand how different the experience was for many Black and Brown scholars, not because of their talent, but because of systems that were not built for them to thrive. I believe deeply in the promise of public education, whether in traditional districts or charter schools, and I’m committed to helping the entire public K–12 sector thrive so that all children have access to high-quality schools that meet their needs and honor their potential.
Outside of my day-to-day work, I’ve invested in continued growth and service. I was honored to join the inaugural Futurity Fellowship, a national program for operations leaders preparing to step into the COO role. For the past four years, I’ve also been a member of the Charter School Growth Fund’s COO community, which has provided an invaluable network of peers and thought partners as I’ve deepened my leadership in school operations and organizational strategy. I’m also a proud alumnus of Millsaps College, where I remain an active alumni engaged in service and community leadership. I serve as Board Chair of Leadership Greater Jackson, a non-profit organization focused on curating equity-centered development experiences for emerging civic leaders.
My wife, Faith, and I are raising our two young children in Jackson, Mississippi. I’m proud to serve the community that gave me so much, and excited to bring that same passion, purpose, and belief in what’s possible to Nashville and beyond.
Our Voice
I bring a systems-level lens that treats operational excellence as an act of justice. Having led school, regional, and network operations, from managing day-to-day systems to setting strategy and coaching leaders across multiple campuses, I understand that operations are not just about efficiency; they’re about equity. In my current role, I focus on shaping policies and systems that actively dismantle barriers and create more just, scholar-centered experiences.
I’ve been part of Mississippi’s charter movement nearly from the beginning, joining RePublic in 2016, just one year after the first charter school opened in the state. I’ve helped grow our impact in Mississippi from one school to four. That experience has given me deep insight into what it takes to build and sustain excellent, equitable schools, especially in historically underserved regions.
As our network grew, we began to see a deeper need for stong operations talent to support our schools and the sector at large. That’s why I designed and now direct the Mississippi Charter School Operations Leader Residency, a development program created in partnership with Mississippi First. This year-long residency trains emerging operations leaders through school-based residencies, professional development opportunities, and real-world application. It is built to serve the entire sector, ensuring that high-quality charter schools across the state have access to prepared, equity-centered operational leadership.
Now, I’m excited to build on that foundation by learning more about Tennessee’s charter landscape and expanding my leadership there.
Our Story
One of the most powerful moments I’ve experienced was reopening our schools after the pandemic. It wasn’t just about returning to classrooms, it was about reestablishing trust, supporting our community, and creating a new standard for what care, safety, and excellence could look like. What stood out most was how our team came together across schools and regions to support one another. Leaders shared resources, ideas, and time. Teams collaborated across campuses to problem-solve everything from PPE logistics to remote learning rollouts to how we’d welcome students back with joy and belonging.
Rather than retreat into silos, our operations and academic teams leaned into one another. We created centralized systems to streamline communication, and school leaders met weekly to align around common challenges and share what was working. From meal distribution to wellness check-ins for families, we redefined what it meant to operate schools, not as isolated buildings, but as a connected network of people working toward a shared mission.
Watching our staff greet scholars on day one, masked, distanced, but full of energy and intention, reminded me why I do this work. It wasn’t perfect, but it was powerful. It showed what happens when we lead with service, act with urgency, and believe deeply in our collective ability to rise to the moment. That time reshaped how I lead: with a greater appreciation for cross-functional partnership, a belief in the strength of distributed leadership, and an unwavering focus on making systems work better for kids and families, especially when the stakes are high.
Our Connection
Relationships are the through line of everything I do, not just in schools, but across teams, communities, and partner organizations. Whether I’m coaching operations leaders, collaborating with instructional teammates, supporting families, or managing regional vendors, I approach every interaction with the belief that trust and consistency are the foundation for sustainable impact.
As a network leader, I stay grounded by being present, regularly visiting schools, checking in with teammates, and listening closely to both challenges and celebrations. I work alongside school leaders to align systems with our values, and I work to ensure that school-based operations staff feel seen, supported, and empowered. Outside the building, I stay engaged and work to build relationships with city and state entities, non-profit partners, and other school operators, understanding that schools don’t exist in isolation, and the best solutions often come from collective effort.
I also see connection as a leadership tool. When we know one another deeply, we’re more likely to extend grace, hold one another accountable, and move with urgency toward shared goals. Relationships create the conditions for high expectations, candid feedback, and collaborative problem-solving. They also allow us to model the very culture we hope to create for our scholars, one rooted in love, achievement, and belongingness.
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