Timmons was born in
Columbus, Ohio, attended
Ohio State University, studying Business Administration. She had a passion for television journalism and reporting. She wrote and produced TV commercials. In 1972 she interviewed for a TV News reporter/anchor position at WILX-TV in Lansing. Two weeks later she was on television as a reporter. While working at WILX-TV as a news anchor/reporter she worked with sportscaster
Jim Brandstatter, whom she later married. In 1976 WILX sent Timmons to
Washington D.C. to cover President
Gerald Ford's address to television news directors at the
White House. Timmons was experienced in setting up and operating video cameras and after videotaping the president's address, she hoped to get an interview with him. She took advantage of an opportunity to grab Ford's attention by saying "Go Blue", as he approached. She knew that President Ford had played football at the
University of Michigan, and was an avid alumnus. The president smiled, and gave Timmons an exclusive interview. The TV
news director for CBS affiliate in Detroit saw Robbie get the exclusive interview and was so impressed he scheduled an interview with Timmons. Three weeks later she was the anchor for WJBK-TV for the 11:00pm news. As Timmons career as a news anchor in Detroit took off, Jim Brandstatter began working in the Sports Department of
WDIV-TV in Detroit. They were married in 1980. Timmons has six Emmy awards for reporting and anchoring, two Silver Circle awards, and in 2013 was enshrined in the Michigan Association of Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. In 1998 Timmons began volunteering for CANTER, a non-profit all volunteer organization that retrains non-competitive thoroughbred race horses for new careers as sport horses or trail horses. She began volunteering full-time as Treasurer and currently Executive Director of CANTER after her retirement from television in 2010. Timmons wrote a popular book based on one of the thoroughbreds helped by CANTER, titled "Twoey and the Goat", in 2008. ==References==