Brattleboro Retreat Honors Employees for 40 and 50 Years of Service
by Mary Wilson // September 30, 2026
After decades of dedicated service, three Brattleboro Retreat employees are celebrating extraordinary career milestones this year. Staff Coordinator Bob Guido is marking 50 years with the Retreat, while psychologists Dr. Jilisa Snyder and Dr. Mark Anagnostopolous are each celebrating 40 years.
The three are among this year’s honorees at the Brattleboro Retreat’s annual Employee Service Awards, which recognize employees who have reached significant milestones in their careers.
Bob Guido: 50 Years of Service
For five decades, Bob Guido has been a trusted presence in staffing and scheduling at the Brattleboro Retreat, where his knowledge, reliability and dedication have helped keep things running smoothly for countless employees and departments.
“Bob has been someone people could count on — a dependable resource, a wealth of historical knowledge, and an important part of the Brattleboro Retreat family,” said Chelsey Lagerberg, Manager of Staffing Operations. “Fifty years of service is an extraordinary milestone and a testament to the dedication he has shown throughout his career.”
Lagerberg, who has worked with Guido since joining the Retreat in 2011, remembers his calls offering her a cancellation as “like a Christmas gift in the middle of July.” She also recalls Guido’s favorite description of the staffing team: “We’re like Santa Claus: we know who is naughty and who is nice.”
“Staffing is a difficult job,” Lagerberg said. “It requires thinking quickly while factoring in numerous variables, and Bob is one of the best. His experience and knowledge have been invaluable.”
Jilisa Snyder: 40 Years of Service
Jilisa Snyder is celebrating 40 years at the Brattleboro Retreat, a career marked by clinical excellence, leadership, compassion and mentorship.
When Snyder joined the organization in 1985, she became the first female psychologist in the history of the Brattleboro Retreat and the first female psychotherapist in the outpatient clinic. She joined a team of three clinicians and helped grow the department into an interdisciplinary team of more than 20.
Throughout her career, Snyder has mentored countless psychologists and therapists through supervision and teaching, while also helping bring mental health education and collaboration into the broader community.
Her impact is reflected in the words of her colleagues. Jenny Karstad, Senior Program Therapist, remembers Snyder encouraging her to pursue her education when Karstad was still working as a medical transcriptionist. “She praised my work and also encouraged me to go on with my education and that she could see the potential in me for being a therapist,” Karstad said.
Senior Program Therapist Heidi Peterson said Snyder has always provided “outstanding, nuanced, patient-focused care” and has been “a consistent cheerleader for all of us” and “thoroughly committed to the good work of the Brattleboro Retreat.”
Mark Anagnostopolous: 40 Years of Service
Dr. Mark Anagnostopolous, affectionately known to many staff members as “Dr. A,” is also celebrating 40 years at the Brattleboro Retreat. Over four decades, he has become a valued resource for inpatient teams, bringing a calm, measured approach and deep clinical expertise to some of the Retreat’s most complex cases.
“When I began here 14 years ago, Mark was the only psychologist providing support for the inpatient teams,” said Dr. Karl Jeffries, Chief Medical Officer. “As such, he was usually only consulted on our most complex and difficult cases, and his contributions to our patient care were universally praised and appreciated by the treatment teams for the insight he brought to the understanding of our patients.”
Jeffries said Anagnostopolous has consistently brought the same steady presence to meetings, assessments and patient interactions.
“I don’t know if I have ever witnessed Mark being anything other than cool, calm and collected,” Jeffries said. “His commitment to patient care and team support has been an invaluable resource for the inpatient care we provide.”
Honoring Years of Commitment
Guido, Snyder and Anagnostopolous are among 19 Brattleboro Retreat employees being recognized this year for 15 or more years of service.
Six employees celebrated 15 years of service. Five celebrated 20 years: Erin Johnson, Larry Mizrahi, Jessica Shepley, Kurt White, and Danielle Woodlock. Three celebrated 25 years: Richard Doody, Derek Nadeau, and Michele Noel. Susane Hanke celebrated 30 years, while Gay Fleming celebrated 35 years.
The Brattleboro Retreat congratulates all of this year’s honorees and thanks them for their many years of dedication to their colleagues, patients and the Retreat’s mission.
