[2][3] A native of New Castle, Delaware she graduated from William Penn High School in 1977 then enlisted in the Delaware Air National Guard becoming the first female member of the Security Police Squadron; in 1980 she graduated from the Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia.

In 1993 then Captain Timmons returned to the Delaware Air Guard as a C-130H “Hercules” pilot with the 166th Airlift Wing serving progressively as an aircraft commander, current operations officer, assistant chief pilot and assistant operations officer; in 2005 she assumed command of the 142d Airlift Squadron then in 2007 was elevated to commander of the 166th Operations Group.

As a colonel she was deputy commander for operations of the 166th Airlift Wing and Director of the Joint Staff for Headquarters, Delaware National Guard; promoted to brigadier general in April 2011, she became the first female general officer in Delaware National Guard history and subsequently served as assistant adjutant general for air while also serving as assistant to the commander of the Air National Guard.

She was a member of the Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee and chair of the Joint Diversity Executive Council as well as serving as the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs representative to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.

General Timmons attended Delaware Technical Community College and received both bachelor's and master's degrees from Wilmington University; she was a graduate of the Air War College and CAPSTONE program at the National Defense University.