Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs

Caroline Thomas Jacobs was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in March 2026, as Director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor for California.

As Cal OES Director and Homeland Security Advisor, Director Thomas Jacobs serves as the state’s chief emergency management official, responsible for leading and coordinating California’s efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against emergencies and disasters.

She provides executive leadership and strategic oversight of the agency’s statewide operations, including emergency planning, disaster response coordination, public safety communications, mutual aid systems, disaster assistance, and recovery programs. During major emergencies, the Director serves as a principal advisor to the Governor on emergency management and homeland security matters, oversees the activation and operations of the State Operations Center, and helps direct the state’s coordinated response and recovery efforts.

Director Thomas Jacobs returns to Cal OES after previously serving in several leadership roles from 2014 to 2019 within the State Threat Assessment Center and Response Division, including Chief of Headquarters Response. In that role, she led the State Operations Center during major activations responding to some of California’s most catastrophic wildfires and disasters. During her tenure she was instrumental in the adoption of advanced technologies integrating emergency services across law enforcement, fire, homeland security, and emergency management and the creation of the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC).

Following her initial service at Cal OES, Thomas Jacobs served as Director of the Wildfire Safety Division at the California Public Utilities Commission and later served as the inaugural Director of the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. In these roles, she built the organizational and operational framework for California’s oversight of utility wildfire mitigation and infrastructure safety.

With more than 20 years of experience in complex operations, technology, homeland security, and emergency management, Thomas Jacobs has advanced public safety modernization at the local, regional, and state levels through roles with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative, and the State of California.

Her leadership across emergency management, homeland security, and technology uniquely positions her to lead Cal OES as the state continues strengthening preparedness, response, and resilience for the challenges ahead.