Ela Smith is a faculty member at Mohawk College, the University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo. Ela’s career has centered on mental health and advocacy. She currently serves as a Teaching and Learning Consultant – Indigenous Education in the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation at Mohawk College. Her pedagogical approach is wholistic and trauma-informed, aiming to empower individuals to critically reflect on how their practice impacts the world. Ela is also an advanced sessional faculty member in the Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency Master of Social Work Program at the University of Toronto.

Ela holds an Early Childhood Education Diploma from Humber College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo, and a Master of Social Work degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. Her leadership experience includes serving as a board director with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region, Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex, and the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators.

Ela identifies as two-spirited and has been married to her wife, Connie, for seven years. She has been a foster and adoptive parent, and a proud mother of two sons and two daughters.

Ela joined the VHA Board in 2025.