CONNERSVILLE, Ind. — Just weeks ago, Maleiah Ottinger was working at her family's auction house as a laborer. Now, she is Fayette County's deputy emergency management director, following historic flooding in Connersville.
Ottinger, who also serves as the Indiana state representative for the United Cajun Navy, had been working at Chris Thompson Auctions in Richmond, Indiana, before the flooding.
"I was in like a pretty dark place, just trying to like figure out what to do next in my life," Ottinger said.
WATCH: She was an out-of-town volunteer two weeks ago. Now she's one of the county's top emergency management officials.
When floodwaters hit Connersville, Ottinger reached out to the United Cajun Navy through Facebook, expecting to sign up as a cleanup volunteer. She was swiftly put in charge of coordinating the entire volunteer cleanup operation.
"You want to make sure that there is a place that they're going, to have an idea of what they need when they get there, if there's equipment, what equipment is needed, and then learning what resources to reach out to for assistance," Ottinger said.
At the height of the disaster response, Ottinger said she was fielding between 250 and 400 phone calls a day.
Jason Mauch, a state emergency management official assisting with the recovery, said Ottinger's performance during the disaster made her a natural fit for the new role.
"I mean, she took care of 99% of the volunteers on the ground," Mauch said. "That's the thing that stood out on this disaster was a one person, you know, handling 1,400 volunteers."
Officials recognized that Connersville's recovery, which could take years, would require additional help, and Ottinger had already built the relationships needed to make that happen.
"She already knew who the key players were, she already knew where she could get donations, food, fuel, volunteers, heavy equipment," Mauch said.
"It was very much the right place at the right time," Ottinger said. "Everything just kind of like fell into place."
Among those Ottinger helped is Dwain Robinson, who spent 25 years building a campground that floodwaters destroyed in hours. He said he considered giving up before Ottinger stepped in.
"She has been like Aladdin's lamp," Robinson said. "Maleiah's been very influential in us deciding to go 150%, full speed."
Ottinger comes into the role with very little professional experience in emergency management. Mauch said she will complete months of online and in-person training to earn her certifications.
"Which will be good for her right now with her workload. I mean, she You know, the disaster hasn't stopped up here," Mauch said.
Ottinger said she expects the certification process to take 6 to 8 months, followed by additional in-person classes.
In her new role, Ottinger said she is focused on connecting residents with resources, helping people navigate FEMA applications, and coordinating donated supplies. She is also working with local churches.
For many Connersville residents, the focus now is on rebuilding and accessing state and federal assistance.
"To watch life fall back into some kind of normality for people, and to just be a support person here in the community," Ottinger said. "I want to stay in emergency management. I want to do something to continue to help communities and make a difference."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
