With a career spanning more than 30 years, she has dedicated her life to aiding students with emotional disabilities and providing positive behavior support for all students in need.
CHESAPEAKE, VA, January 07, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — Dr. C. Elaine McCoy Smith has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Smith is a distinguished educational consultant and the chief executive officer at Coastal Virginia Special Education Advocacy, where she has served since 2010. With a career spanning more than 30 years, she has dedicated her life to aiding students with emotional disabilities and providing positive behavior support for all students in need. Her work involves cooperating with teachers and parents to create supportive environments, offering complimentary consultations to answer questions about individualized education programs, and participating in due process hearings and IEP meetings. She also handles training sessions for school systems and public agencies, focusing on foster parents caring for children with special needs.
Prior to her current role, Dr. Smith spent 32 years as an administrator in the Department of Special Education at Norfolk Public Schools. Her extensive capability in this position laid the foundation for her expertise in emotional disabilities, autism and special education. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her innovative approaches to education, including developing a technology-based solution that allows teachers to record lessons for students facing behavioral challenges or other obstacles to learning.
Before embarking on her career path, Dr. Smith successfully obtained a Bachelor of Science in special education and teaching from Norfolk State University in 1977. She furthered her education with a Master of Arts in special education and teaching from Old Dominion University in 1992, followed by a Certification in administration and supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1996. In 2010, she earned a Doctor of Education in educational leadership and administration from Nova Southeastern University.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Smith is an active member of several service and industry-related organizations, including the National Alliance of Black School Educators, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Education Association of Norfolk and the National Education Association.
Dr. Smith is also an accomplished author, having written and published the novel “Back Road to Progress” in 2023. This nonfiction narrative details her experiences and challenges as one of the first individuals to integrate schools in Virginia Beach in 1962. Additionally, she authored “Instructive View” in 2007 and was a contributor to “One Month Can’t Hold Our History.” Her literary contributions reflect her dedication to sharing accurate historical narratives and providing an education for students from all backgrounds.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Dr. Smith is deeply involved in civic activities as a committee member of the Daughters of Isis, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and a volunteer at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church (“The Mount”). She has received numerous accolades for her community service, including the Outstanding Women in the Community Service Award from the House of Representatives in 2020 and the Impacting Lives Award from The New Journal and Guide, Norfolk in 2014.
Looking to the future, Dr. Smith is passionate about expanding her literary work on the trauma of bullying and is especially excited to be writing a children’s book about kindness with her granddaughter. Inspired by her father’s analogy comparing people to Tootsie Pops — emphasizing that everyone shares the same inner core despite outward differences — she aims to teach children about shared humanity through this project. Her unwavering commitment to education, community service and family continues to inspire those around her as she works toward fostering understanding and compassion across diverse communities.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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