Centinel logo

Centinel Receives National Awards for Excellence in Community Engagement and Housing Design and Development

The Nashville-based military housing and lodging provider recognized by Multi-Housing News Excellence Awards and National Night Out. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 22, 2026) – Centinel Public Partnerships, a leading provider in military lodging and housing ownership and development, has received national recognition for its commitment to community engagement and providing high-quality housing for military families. The Nashville-based provider received two accolades at the 2025 Multi-Housing News (MHN) Excellence Awards in December 2025 and multiple 2025 National Night Out (NNO) Awards. 

Centinel was honored at the annual 2025 Multi-Housing News Excellence Awards, where Erevia Park at Fort Campbell (Kentucky) received a Silver Award for Best Development & Design in the Single-Family Rental category, and Cadence Communities at United States Southern Command (Florida) received a Bronze Award for Best Unbuilt Development.  

The MHN awards are a widely regarded benchmark for excellence in the multifamily housing industry, recognizing outstanding achievements in development and design. These accolades highlight Centinel’s ongoing efforts to provide innovative and thoughtful housing solutions that meet the unique needs of military families.  

In addition to the MHN Awards, Centinel’s military housing at Island Palm Communities (Hawaii), Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes (New York) and Cavalry Family Housing (Texas) all received 2025 National Night Out Awards, recognizing their efforts to promote safety and strengthen community relationships. This was the 15th consecutive win for Cavalry Family Housing, 13th consecutive award for Island Palm Communities and seventh consecutive win for Fort Drum. 

National Night Out is an annual initiative that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, designed to foster crime prevention and neighborhood engagement, celebrating police-community partnerships across the nation. Centinel neighborhoods hosted a variety of events, including educational activities, safety demonstrations and family-friendly entertainment, supported by local military, police and fire departments. 

Centinel continues to expand its portfolio in 2026, with several renovations and housing developments scheduled for completion nationwide, demonstrating its commitment to creating exceptional communities that support military families. 

“At Centinel, our mission is to create communities where people live, work and thrive,” said Centinel Public Partnerships President, Phillip Carpenter. “These recognitions are a strong testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire team, and why Centinel is sought after as a premier, trusted partner. As we move into the new year, we will continue setting the standard for on-post housing and lodging for military families and look forward to pursuing opportunities to grow our portfolio.” 

For more information about Centinel Public Partnerships, 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.  

### 

Media Contact 

Madison Scheid 
MP&F Strategic Communications 

(615) 259-4000 
Mscheid@mpf.com 

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.