Meryl Exley - Centinel

EVP, Marketing & Public Affairs

Meryl Exley is the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Public Affairs at Centinel, where she leads the team dedicated to shaping and elevating the company’s brand and reputation from the inside out. With a sharp focus on growth, innovation and impact, Meryl delivers integrated marketing and communication strategies that connect people, purpose and performance across a national housing and lodging portfolio.

Under her leadership, Centinel’s marketing and public affairs function supports a diverse portfolio of more than 40,000 single-family homes, nearly 200 apartments and over 13,000 hotel rooms—ensuring each asset is backed by strong brand presence, engaged customers, clients and partners, as well as a meaningful community connection. Meryl oversees brand development and execution of corporate communications (internal and external), client and customer engagement, public relations, media relations, campaign development, social media engagement, and strategic issues and crisis management across the organization.

Before stepping into her current role, Meryl served as Director of Marketing, Business Growth Strategies at Lendlease Americas, and Director of Marketing for Lendlease Communities—helping to position the company’s military housing and lodging platform for sustained growth and visibility.

Meryl joined Lendlease in 2007 and transitioned to Centinel Public Partnerships in 2025. With nearly two decades of experience spanning the marketing, communications and public affairs industry, Meryl brings a distinct blend of strategic vision and operational savvy to her work. She is a member of Centinel’s Senior Leadership Team, a position she also previously held at Lendlease.

A proud graduate of the University of Tennessee, Meryl holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with a concentration in marketing and public relations. She also serves on the board of The Centinel Community Fund, Centinel’s nonprofit arm, and has previously contributed her expertise as a member of the National Association of Real Estate and Investment Managers (NAREIM)’s Marketing and Communications Committee.

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.