The Campus Without Walls Board of Directors recently approved the appointment of Milly Arbaje-Thomas as President/CEO of Campus Without Walls. Arbaje-Thomas has provided incredible momentum to the organization for the last year as Chief of Staff. Prior to joining CWW, she served as President & CEO of METCO, Inc. from 2018 to 2025, initiating and overseeing significant accomplishments in growth and fiscal sustainability for the historic organization that provides opportunities for inner-city students to attend high-performing suburban schools.
Among other accolades, Arbaje-Thomas is credited with overhauling the METCO admissions process to an online lottery system with a transparent and equitable admissions policy and working with urban and suburban partners to foster a robust, anti-racism initiative. Before serving at METCO, Arbaje-Thomas held various leadership positions at Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. (ABCD), the largest anti-poverty agency in New England, where among many accomplishments she began the Immigration Clinic, supporting thousands of immigrants in becoming US citizens.
“We are honored, excited and delighted to welcome Milly to the leadership of Campus Without Walls,” said Ayele Shakur, CWW Co-Founder & Chairman. “During the short time she has served with us as Chief of Staff, she has engineered significant accomplishments in fundraising, outreach, organizational development and growth for Campus Without Walls. The Board of Directors joins together in applauding her appointment as President & CEO. We look forward to working with Milly as Campus Without Walls makes a difference for students and educators across Massachusetts, serving under-resourced districts with specialized courses and providing culturally relevant content and diverse perspectives to well-resourced schools.”
Ron Walker, CWW Interim Director, Strategic Advisor, and former MA Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, praised Arbaje-Thomas’s significant accomplishments as CWW Chief of Staff. “I came on board to help get this next phase of CWW off the ground, a role I have taken on with other non-profit organizations,” he said. “I have been working with Milly for the last year to ensure a smooth transition. Milly is a natural leader and her enthusiasm, savvy, smarts and ability to address student and school needs in a changing world are exactly what CWW needs as we move forward.”
Arbaje-Thomas thanked Shakur, Walker and all board members for their confidence. “I am honored to lead the CWW team as we launch this outstanding model to provide significant educational opportunity and career development for students across Massachusetts,” she said. “I see CWW as a national model for America’s students and educators. This initiative has the capacity to break down barriers between schools and to expand students’ access to high-level academics, culturally relevant courses, and student-driven, career-connected learning. We are ready to take a giant step forward for education!”
Arbaje-Thomas noted that the leadership of Shakur and Walker has paved the way to creating an innovative educational institution. “I am so grateful to both of them!”