Jo L. McMullen-Boyer, 54, St. Cloud

April 29, 1969 - July 12, 2023

Jo Lynn McMullen-Boyer, age 54, St. Cloud, MN died Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at her home in St. Cloud.

A celebration of Jo’s life will be held at a later date. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Superior, WI. Funeral arrangements were made by Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud, MN.

Jo was born April 29, 1969, in Vermillion, SD, to James and Mary (Koenen) McMullen. She graduated from St. Cloud Technical High School in 1987 and St. Cloud State University in 1991.

Jo will be remembered as someone with a passion for music and a deep commitment to the positive impact the arts can have on people and the communities in which they live.

She was deeply curious about the people she met and the places she visited, which made her a natural reporter and gifted storyteller. As a student at SCSU, Jo started working at KVSC, St. Cloud State University’s student-run educational and community-based public radio station. After graduating from SCSU with a degree in Mass Communications, she became KVSC’s Station Manager in August of 1992 and held that role until her retirement in April 2023.

Jo worked tirelessly to expand the footprint and influence of KVSC. While at SCSU, she transformed KVSC from a single FM station to eight stations on a digital platform with reach around the world. She transformed Trivia Weekend into an annual event that engages devoted teams from across the US and globe, and she made KVSC an anchor for the central Minnesota arts region through innovative programming such as Granite City Radio Theatre and supporting community efforts like the Common Roots Festival.

For her unrelenting vision for how public radio and the arts can bring people together and contribute to the vitality of their communities, she was recognized with a lifetime achievement award by the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations (AMPERS), in which Jo was a member and past president.

Through KVSC and her teaching in the SCSU Department of Mass Communications, Jo mentored thousands of students throughout her career. Jo’s legacy can be seen in the broadcasting and arts professionals that serve communities across Minnesota and the country.

But for all her professional accomplishments, her greatest love was for her family and friends, to which she was generous with her time and spirit.

She is survived by her parents James and Mary McMullen of St. Cloud, MN; daughter,

Fiora Boyer of St. Cloud, MN; niece, Sydney McMullen of Bloomington, MN; sister-in-law, Denise McMullen of Bloomington, MN; significant other, Mike Forester of Sauk Rapids, MN; former husband, David Boyer of Sauk Rapids, MN; and many good friends and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Mark McMullen, and sister Jamie McMullen.