Trustees and Executive Staff

Robert E. Simpson, Jr. President and Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Simpson was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Retreat Healthcare in 2006. He comes to the Retreat with over 30 years of commitment to the treatment of individuals experiencing mental health and addiction issues as well as extensive experience in the management of mental health and substance abuse programs. He is a graduate of Amherst College, Simmons College (MSW), Harvard University (MPH) and the University of Utah where he earned a doctorate in Social Work.

Most recently Dr. Simpson served as CEO of Arbour Hospital, a member of the Universal Health Services, Inc., in Boston.  In prior executive management positions he has served as Chief Operating Officer Behavioral Healthcare and Sr. Vice President of Government Relations at the Sisters of Providence Health System and Vice President of Behavioral Health and Cancer Services at Baystate Health System in Springfield, Massachusetts.

With a strong clinical and public health background Dr. Simpson brings the values and skills necessary to build upon the Retreat’s core mission to serve the community of Vermont and surrounding region. His career has been a demonstration of exceptional clinical care, strong financial results, and the knowledge of how to partner with key stakeholders from both the private and public sectors to advocate for the needs of those who seek healthcare services.

Robert Soucy, Chief Operating Officer

Robert Soucy has been with Retreat Healthcare since 2001 as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Soucy also served on the Board of Trustees at Retreat Healthcare. Before joining Retreat Healthcare Mr. Soucy was Executive Vice President and Senior Operating Officer at Vermont National Bank in Brattleboro, VT. He has served as director of Vermont Association of Hospitals and Healthcare, New England Automated Clearing House Association, National Automated Clearinghouse Association, The Community Advisory Board for Vermont Public Radio, and Vermont Community Loan Fund. Mr. Soucy was educated at Nathanial Hawthorne College in Antrim, NH and was a sergeant in the United States Air Force.

Gregory A. Miller, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs

Dr. Gregory Miller assume the position of Vice President of Medical Affairs at Retreat Healthcare in January 2006. Trained as a nurse, Dr. Miller brings clinical experience to Retreat Healthcare. Just recently he earned his masters in business administration from The City University of New York. Before Retreat Healthcare, Dr. Miller was the Medical Director for Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke Massachusetts. He served as Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Chief Medical Officer of North General Hospital, a Mt. Sinai Medical School affiliate in New York City. He practiced psychiatry in the New York metropolitan area for 15 years before moving to New England. He has held faculty appointments at The Mt. Sinai Medical School in New York, The New York University Medical School, Cornell Medical School and Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Miller received his M.D. from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. After an internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, he completed his residency in psychiatry at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical School. In addition, Dr. Miller holds a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Tennessee and a master’s in business administration from The City University of New York. >>More

John E. Blaha, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

John E. Blaha joined Retreat Healthcare in 2004 as its Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and has more than 25 years experience in the healthcare industry. Since 1998, Mr. Blaha served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for Technology in Medicine in Holliston, MA; a company that provides biomedical equipment maintenance, repairs and consulting to healthcare organizations.  Prior to that, he was the Chief Financial Officer for behavioral health systems in New Hampshire and Wisconsin.  During his career, Mr. Blaha has also worked as an auditor; a consultant and various financial management positions within healthcare facilities.  Mr. Blaha has a BBA in Accounting and a MBA in Healthcare Administration.  He is also an advanced member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Vareen O’Keefe Domaleski, Vice President of Patient Care

Vareen O’Keefe Domaleski is the newest member of the executive team having joined the Brattleboro Retreat in August 2007 as Vice President of Patient Care. She comes to the Retreat having served most recently as Chief Nursing Officer at Hampstead Hospital in Hampsted, NH. Before that she was the Vice President and Chief Nursing officer at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore, MD.

With more than 35 years of experience in behavioral health care, O’Keefe Domaleski’s background includes both clinical and administrative leadership positions at well-respected institutions such as McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, and New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, NH.

She received her nursing degree from Massachusetts General Hospital, her bachelor of science in Nursing from Worcester State College and her master’s degree in Administration of Nursing Services from the University of Lowell. In 1996 she completed a fellowship in Management for Nurse Executives at Johnson & Johnson/ Wharton, and in 2004 completed studies in the Executive Leadership Doctoral Program in Human and Organizational Studies at George Washington University.

Linda Rice, Vice President of Admissions and Evaluation (A&E)

Linda Rice currently serves as the Brattleboro Retreat’s Vice President of Admissions and Evaluation (A&E). She joined the Retreat in 1994 as a per diem Family Nurse Practitioner in the Medical Clinic, and in 2005 assumed the position of Clinical Manager for the Retreat’s Medical Clinic and ECT services. In 2006 she was appointed Vice President of Patient Care Services 

Prior to joining the Brattleboro Retreat, Ms. Rice served as the Director of Medical Services at Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT.  She graduated from the Presbyterian School of Nursing in 1969 with a Diploma in Nursing. In 1994 she graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a Master of Science in Nursing.  At present she serves as the Vice Chair of the State of Vermont Board of Nursing.  Ms. Rice is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Women’s Crisis Center in Brattleboro, VT, and serves on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Advanced Practice Advisory Panel

Peter Albert, LICSW Director of PrimariLink and External Affairs

Peter Albert, LICSW, has been at the Retreat since 1978. During the past twenty-eight years he has held multiple roles including Clinical Director of the Adolescent Services, Director of Access and Evaluation, Utilization Management and Administrator of Adult Services. For the past seven years he has been the Director of Retreat Healthcare’s Managed Service Organization, PrimariLink. He continues to see outpatients at the Anna Marsh Clinic, provide clinical supervision and most recently has assumed the role of Director for External Affairs.