Milly Arbaje-Thomas

Milly Arbaje-Thomas was officially welcomed as the new president and CEO of Campus Without Walls (CWW) during its Public Launch Breakfast at The Boston Foundation. Arbaje-Thomas, who has driven strong momentum for the organization as chief of staff over the past year, steps into the chief executive role to guide CWW through its next phase of statewide growth.

Prior to joining CWW, Arbaje-Thomas was president and CEO of METCO, Inc. from 2018 to 2025, where she oversaw historic expansion and fiscal sustainability. Her notable achievements there included overhauling the legacy admissions process into a transparent, equitable online lottery system and launching robust antiracism initiatives with urban and suburban partners.

Previously, she held various leadership roles at Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), New England’s largest antipoverty agency, where she established an Immigration Clinic that supported thousands of individuals on their path to U.S. citizenship.

“We are honored and delighted to welcome Milly to the leadership of Campus Without Walls,” said Ayele Shakur, CWW co-founder and chairman. “As chief of staff, she engineered significant breakthroughs in fundraising, outreach and organizational development. The Board of Directors eagerly anticipates working with Milly as CWW continues to serve underresourced districts with specialized courses, while bringing culturally relevant content and diverse perspectives to well-resourced schools.”

Ron Walker, CWW strategic advisor and former Massachusetts secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, echoed this praise.

“Milly is a natural leader. Her enthusiasm, strategic savvy and deep understanding of student needs are exactly what CWW requires as we move forward,” said Walker, who partnered with Arbaje-Thomas over the past year to ensure a seamless leadership transition.

Expressing her gratitude to the board, Arbaje-Thomas highlighted the organization’s potential impact. “I am honored to lead the CWW team as we scale this outstanding model,” she stated. “CWW has the capacity to break down systemic barriers between schools, expanding access to high-level academics and student-driven, career-connected learning. We are ready to take a giant step forward for education.”

The Public Launch Breakfast, hosted in partnership with The Boston Foundation, the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, brought together key policymakers, educators and community stakeholders.

CWW is a unique statewide initiative leveraging live virtual learning and cross-district collaboration to close opportunity gaps, backed by strong state, philanthropic and corporate investments