Mrs. Tinney began her service to Professional Oklahoma Educators, then known as the Association of Professional Oklahoma Educators, in 1996 and established the Professional Oklahoma Educators Foundation in 1998. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Deaf Education and Elementary Education from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 1981. She received her Masters of Education in administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1986 and is also certified as a principal and superintendent in Oklahoma.

Mrs. Tinney has a diverse background in education. She has taught in both elementary and secondary levels, in rural and urban areas, and in special education as well as in regular education. In addition to being a classroom teacher, she also drove a school bus and served as school sponsor for numerous school clubs and groups. Mrs. Tinney was selected by students to receive several "Teacher of the Month" awards.

Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Tinney was appointed by Governor Keating to serve on the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee, where she served from 1996 to 1998. In 2002, she was honored with the prestigious "National Freedom Fighter" Award from Concerned Educators Against Forced Unionism (CEAFU), the education arm of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation in Washington, D.C. She currently serves on the Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE) Task Force.

In 2005, Mrs. Tinney co-wrote the Collaborative Communication Model as a replacement to antiquated collective bargaining methods. The model has since been implemented in eight Oklahoma school districts with great success. Collaborative Communication brings openness and accountability to the negotiating process and creates a forum for teachers, administrators and school board members to work together to better serve students.