Our Team
Omer Abdulrahman - Facilities Manager
Always with a smile on his face, Omer Abdulrahman’s story could fill our entire website. Running from Sudan to avoid being recruited as a child soldier, he spent time in Syria, Lebanon and Conneticut before landing in North Carolina. Omer is also a great runner and two time champ of the RDC Marathon in Durham.
Kate Charland - Chief Operating Officer
Growing up in Boone, NC, Kate fostered an early appreciation for the outdoors under the guidance of her dad, who took her on whitewater kayaking trips at age 4. After spending years guiding trips around the world, Kate went back to UNC Chapel Hill to earn her MBA with a focus on Real Estate. Kate brings a passion for sustainability to Carpenter's projects and hopes to inspire people to join our growing Raleigh community.
Brent Francese - Creative Director
Brent Francese brings a thoughtful, community-driven approach to design as Creative Director at Carpenter Development Group. Originally from Charlotte, NC, he earned his Bachelor of Architecture from NC State University in 2005. After beginning his career in Asheville, NC, Brent and his wife settled in Raleigh in 2008, where he has since focused on architecture and design. His eye for detail, deep knowledge of urban form, and passion for placemaking shape the vision behind many of Carpenter’s mixed-use and residential projects.
Outside of the office, Brent is a dedicated father of three, an avid runner, and a longtime advocate for Raleigh’s parks and greenways.
David Meeker - Managing Partner
A Raleigh native, David Meeker founded Carpenter Development and partnered with Trophy Brewing in 2008. He then helped start the Commercial Brokerage Elm Partners in 2020. He has made every mistake in the world, lived to tell about it, and has invaluable development experience because of that.
David is on the Board of Healing Transitions, Wake Up Wake County, and the Advisory Boards of Lotus and Dogwood Bank. David is on the Capital Campaign Committee for the Healing Transitions expansion and the WakeMed Mental Health Hospital. David was previously on the Board of the Raleigh Chamber, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Dix Park, Artspace, Common Cause, North Carolinians for Redistricting Reform, and the Raleigh City Museum.
David was an avid runner for years, completing 30 marathons including 10 Boston Marathons in a row - 9 of which he qualified for and ran in person and the 10th he did not qualify for but they offered a virtual option in the pandemic that didn’t require a qualifying time. Sometimes you get lucky. David lives in Downtown Raleigh with his wife Kimberlie and two boys.