By Laurie Geier
AmeriCorps VIP Fellow
Maggie Tougas is peculiar. In chaos, she thrives. In disaster, she shines. Beginning her career path as a gang and narcotics analyst, building her own private consulting business, and eventually becoming CSU Channel Islands' Emergency Manager, Maggie has never been drawn to the mundane.
“Emergency Managers, we're peculiar. We get excited and want to respond when a disaster happens. [We’re] getting calls over the weekend to know if there's something to worry about. You just can't shut it off."
As California moves through waves of disasters, Maggie serves as a safeguard and healer for the community. After the Thomas Fire spread across Ventura County, she stepped forward to lead in the recovery: assisting survivors in rebuilding and restoring the community. On the morning of November 8, 2018, Maggie awoke to dozens of missed calls. There had been a shooting in Thousand Oaks.
"I need you to come to work, check-in, and go to the command post. We need you to be our liaison up there." Maggie rushed to Borderline Bar & Grill to track down any students, faculty, or staff who may have been injured. "We actually had fifty students in the bar that night, not just ten. Fifty. We had the most students out of all the Ventura County campuses.”
Hours later, she was evacuating campus remotely from Ventura County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), passing on instructions to staff and student assistants as the Woolsey Fire ripped through the mountains. With roads closing to contain the fire, students, faculty, and staff were unable to leave CSUCI during the evacuation. "It was a nightmare. Nobody could get out."
Following these incidents, CSUCI decided to shut down the campus for two weeks, allowing the community to process these events. Meanwhile, Maggie did what she does best: mend. In response to the Borderline Bar & Grill Shooting, Maggie supported CSUCI in raising funds through the Chancellor's Office and local groups to provide counseling services to the CI community.
With each disaster, Maggie Tougas takes a step further. She reaches past her position as Emergency Manager and meets the needs of the community. Some days she's holding someone's hand after an emergency, helping citizens access local resources or complete FEMA applications. Other days, she's drafting award-winning emergency plans, later to be adopted throughout the CSU system and the state of California.
In all of her accomplishments, Maggie maintains humility, and graciousness toward her colleagues. "I'm learning something every day from another agency, from another person, from my colleagues here at work. During an emergency, we come together as a team, all departments on campus, and our EOC Team."
Maggie also engages in community service. In the wake of the Thomas Fire, she stepped up as the Long-term Recovery Lead for Ventura County Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VC VOAD). For over 8 years she has served as a chairperson for this non-profit, dedicating her spare time to improving outcomes for those affected by disasters.
Yes, Maggie Tougas is peculiar, in the best way. She is peculiar because, regardless of the situation, she jumps right in. She is peculiar because whenever disaster strikes, she has a unique ability to organize, regroup, and recover. Whatever comes her way, she takes in stride, bringing the community together through public service and volunteerism.
“As an Emergency Manager, the job gets under your skin. You can't shut it off. Ever. You just want to be there to help make things better for the community. So, we, as Emergency Management oddballs, run into the fire just as others are running out.”