Watkins served on the Castle Dale City Planning and Zoning board, and also held leadership positions in the Emery Education Association.

She served as the executive director for the Southeastern Utah UniServ.

[2] Prior to the 2018 election, Watkins had served a total of six years in the Utah House of Representatives: from 2009 through 2012, and again from 2017 to the present.

In 2018, Rep. Watkins ran as the Republican incumbent serving a two-year term that began on Jan. 1, 2017, and defeated Democratic challenger Tim Glenn.

[4] During the 2022 General Session, Watkins served on the Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee, House Education Committee, and House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee.