Jo Bender
Encyclopedia
Jo Bender is a beauty queen from Minnesota
who has competed in the Miss America
pageant and is a meteorologist and television reporter.
Bender was chosen Miss Minnesota
1992 at the age of 22. She competed at the 1993 Miss America Pageant and was selected as a talent winner for her performance on the fiddle. Bender became one of the most traveled Miss Minnesota in the pageant's history, performing a self-esteem program thousands of elementary school students during her year as Miss Minnesota.
Bender holds a certificate in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University and a degree in Broadcasting from St. Cloud State University
. She began her career as an intern at KTTC
-TV in Rochester in 1990 and was hired there as a weekend weather anchor.
Following her year as Miss Minnesota
1992, Bender spent one year as a missionary for Merge Ministries in Reynosa, Mexico where she assisted churches along the border in building youth programs and facilitated mission trips for churches.
Bender returned to television in 1994, working for WAOW-TV in Wasau, Wisconsin. She was then hired at KMSP-TV
in Minneapolis as a weekend weather anchor and reporter. One year later, she was hired at KSTP-TV
where she worked until 2003 as meteorologist, weekend morning show host, and reporter.
Bender remains active in the Twin Cities as a freelance meteorologist and reporter, currently working for KARE
-TV in Minneapolis. She also travels as an inspirational speaker, presenting talks on faith and a spirit-filled life. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and children.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
who has competed in the Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
pageant and is a meteorologist and television reporter.
Bender was chosen Miss Minnesota
Miss Minnesota
The Miss Minnesota competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Minnesota in the Miss America pageant. Minnesota has won the Miss America crown on three occasions. The last, was Gretchen Carlson, in 1989.- Winners :...
1992 at the age of 22. She competed at the 1993 Miss America Pageant and was selected as a talent winner for her performance on the fiddle. Bender became one of the most traveled Miss Minnesota in the pageant's history, performing a self-esteem program thousands of elementary school students during her year as Miss Minnesota.
Bender holds a certificate in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University and a degree in Broadcasting from St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
. She began her career as an intern at KTTC
KTTC
KTTC is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southeastern Minnesota and Northeastern Iowa. Licensed to Rochester, Minnesota, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter in Ostrander, Minnesota near the Fillmore and Mower County line...
-TV in Rochester in 1990 and was hired there as a weekend weather anchor.
Following her year as Miss Minnesota
Miss Minnesota
The Miss Minnesota competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Minnesota in the Miss America pageant. Minnesota has won the Miss America crown on three occasions. The last, was Gretchen Carlson, in 1989.- Winners :...
1992, Bender spent one year as a missionary for Merge Ministries in Reynosa, Mexico where she assisted churches along the border in building youth programs and facilitated mission trips for churches.
Bender returned to television in 1994, working for WAOW-TV in Wasau, Wisconsin. She was then hired at KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the Fox-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WFTC...
in Minneapolis as a weekend weather anchor and reporter. One year later, she was hired at KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located at the Shoreview Telefarm. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other broadcasting properties across the United States....
where she worked until 2003 as meteorologist, weekend morning show host, and reporter.
Bender remains active in the Twin Cities as a freelance meteorologist and reporter, currently working for KARE
KARE
KARE, digital channel 11, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin. It also operates KARE WX NOW, formerly known as NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel...
-TV in Minneapolis. She also travels as an inspirational speaker, presenting talks on faith and a spirit-filled life. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and children.