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Centinel Public Partnerships Marks Holiday Season with Nationwide Effort Supporting Military Families

Private military housing leader supported military communities across the country through volunteerism, donations and festive events 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 10, 2026) — This holiday season, Centinel Public Partnerships (Centinel) came together to support military families, veterans and fellow team members across the country through a wide range of volunteer initiatives, charitable giving and community celebrations. 

Beginning with the Thanksgiving holiday through Christmas, Centinel hosted food drives, prepared holiday meals and partnered with nonprofit organizations, including its nonprofit branch, the Centinel Community Fund, to organize several festive events, directly supporting military service members and their communities with hands-on support where it mattered most.  

“Across the country, our teams showed what it truly means to serve with purpose—especially during a season that can be uniquely challenging for military families,” said Justin Kern, chief executive officer of Centinel Public Partnerships. “Whether providing meals to veteran families or simply creating moments of joy during the holidays, we were proud to give back to the servicemen and -women who go above and beyond for our country every day.” 

Thanksgiving Highlights: Giving Back Where It Matters Most 

  • Alaska and Hawaii – North Haven, Island Palm and Hickam Communities – Feeding Military Families: 
    North Haven, Island Palm and Hickam Communities partnered with local Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) chapters to collect hundreds of non-perishable food items for military families. 
  • San Pedro, California – Tierra Vista Communities – Honoring Veterans With Commemorative Coins: 
    In partnership with ASYMCA, teams presented commemorative coins to veterans in gratitude and recognition, in addition to hosting a commemorative coin ceremony for veterans in November, Centinel supported ASYMCA’s annual “Breakfast With Santa” event for 650 military family members. 
  • Fort Drum, New York – Turkeys for Troops: 
    Centinel partnered with local businesses to support the Turkeys for Troops program in providing 200 Thanksgiving dinners to military families. 
  • Fort Hood, Texas – Cavalry Family Housing: 
    Volunteers prepared more than 1,500 holiday grocery bags with meals for families in need. 

December Highlights: Making Spirits Bright 

  • Honolulu, Hawaii – Island Palm and Hickam Communities – Operation Holiday Joy: 
    Teams provided gift wrapping, gift distribution and financial support for families in need. 
  • Supporting Teams: 
    CCF also organized hot cocoa stations and holiday treats for on-base maintenance teams throughout the country. 
  • Fort Campbell, Kentucky – Holiday Parade: 
    Centinel hosted a festive holiday parade for residents and community members, featuring decorated floats and music. 
  • Fort Wainwright, Alaska – North Haven Communities – Home for the Holidays: 
    CCF provided holiday festivities and outreach for communities, including Santa visits, reindeer feeding, holiday movie screenings and gift baskets. 
  • Cadence at Hunter Liggett, California – King City Parade and Cocoa and Captures: 
    Volunteers joined the on-site Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) teams in a Whoville-themed parade and hosted a cocoa-and-photo event for service members and their families. 

From Alaska to New York, Centinel and CCF’s holiday initiatives reflected their strong commitment to service and community, making a difference for thousands of military families nationwide. 

For more information about Centinel, visit centinelus.com. 

About Centinel Public Partnerships 
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Centinel Public Partnerships is dedicated to enhancing the lives of U.S. military members and their families through its high-quality housing and lodging communities. With a portfolio of 10 housing communities and over 70 hotels across 26 states and Puerto Rico, Centinel’s leadership team brings 25 years of experience to one of the largest military housing privatization portfolios in the United States. Through its established partnerships with WinnResidential Military Housing Services and IHG® Hotels & Resorts, hotel operator and manager of IHG Army Hotels, Centinel provides exceptional communities and lodging experiences for service members and their families.  

The Centinel Community Fund (CCF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting military service members, military families, and military communities where Centinel employees live and work. For more information, visit https://centinelus.com/community-fund/. 

Presents wrapped during a volunteer event at Centinel Public Partnerships’ Nashville office. 

North Haven Communities display the non-perishable food items collected during their holiday food drive to support military families, in partnership with the local Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA). 

A service member and his daughter sign in to receive a Thanksgiving dinner through the Turkeys for Troops program at Fort Drum, New York, supported by Centinel and local businesses. 

Volunteers at Cavalry Family Housing, Fort Hood, Texas, load groceries for more than 1,500 holiday meal bags for families in need. 

Chief Commercial Officer Kevin Davis is responsible for Centinel’s commercial services, including transactions, operations and government relations. He also oversees risk and compliance, along with leadership of Environment, Health and Safety, and Marketing and Public Affairs. Kevin spent 18 years with Lendlease in senior business development, commercial and legal roles, following earlier experience in private law practice and service in the U.S. Air Force.

With nearly two decades of experience in marketing and communications, Meryl Exley leads Centinel’s brand, communications and public affairs strategy as Executive Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs. She oversees corporate communications, client and customer engagement, public relations, media, and crisis management, strengthening the company’s reputation and community connections. Before Centinel, Meryl held senior marketing leadership roles at Lendlease, where she advanced growth and visibility for its military housing and lodging platform.

Matthew Garrett is Executive Vice President responsible for Centinel’s Air Force Housing and Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) portfolios. He directs operations and strategic initiatives across both programs. Before joining Centinel, Matt held senior leadership roles at Lendlease, where he expanded its student housing platform and managed a military housing portfolio of more than 40,000 homes. He also led federal lobbying and outreach efforts, engaging with congressional and Department of Defense stakeholders. Earlier in his career, Matt served as a U.S. Army officer, earning a Bronze Star for Valor during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Leading Centinel’s legal, compliance and governance functions, Heather Niemeyer provides strategic counsel to support growth and manage risk across the portfolio. She brings more than 15 years of experience advising global organizations, including senior legal roles at Lendlease and earlier practice with two international law firms.

As Centinel’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeremy Martin is responsible for financial strategy, operations and reporting, guiding the company’s long-term growth and performance. He has more than 20 years of experience in corporate and real estate finance, with expertise in financial planning, compliance and risk management. Jeremy served as CFO for Lendlease (US) Public Partnerships Holdings LLC prior to the company’s acquisition by Centinel, where he directed financial operations for Lendlease Communities.

Gretchen Turpen serves as Executive Vice President, Asset Management, where she directs operations and asset, property and development management for Centinel’s Army housing portfolio of more than 25,000 homes. In this role, she leads corporate strategy, financial performance, and client and customer relationships. Previously, Gretchen was Head of Lodging, where she delivered the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program including the renovation of over 12,000 hotel rooms across 40 military installations nationwide.

In his role as President, Phillip Carpenter guides operations for Centinel’s Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) and Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) portfolios. He is responsible for property management, asset management, development, construction, and environmental health and safety. With more than 40 years of experience supporting the Department of Defense, Phillip has held senior leadership positions with Lendlease and J&J Worldwide Services, bringing expertise in real estate, development and facilities management. 

Justin Kern, Chief Executive Officer of Centinel, sets the company’s strategic direction with a focus on long-term sustainment and outcomes for customers, partners and employees. He has more than 20 years of leadership in real estate finance, construction and operations. Prior to Centinel, Justin served as President and CEO of Lendlease (US) Public Partnerships Holdings LLC, where he oversaw asset management, property management and development for military housing and lodging communities.