Valerie "Val" Kelly Meladeo (née Tyler) (portrayed by Jennie Garth) is Holly's older sister, a young woman who expects everything to run exactly as planned to the last detail and takes all her responsibilities seriously. As a result, she can become stressed and frustrated very easily, particularly by Holly's impulsive behavior. Despite her uptight nature, she and Holly are very close, and Holly often encourages Val to take more risks, to varying degrees of success. Initially, Val works for a public relations firm called Harper & Diggs. However, after becoming dissatisfied when her role in the company, she starts her own PR company with her co-worker and friend, Lauren. When their company falls through due to Lauren's irresponsibility, the two start a successful bakery, where Gary eventually works.
Like Holly, Val goes through several relationships in the series. Her first boyfriend during the series was Jeff, whom she dated for a year until he revealed that he didn't want to get married. After their breakup, Val develops feelings for her boss, Vic, though nothing happens between the two. However, she does have mixed feelings about her new boss Peter, but before a relationship could develop between the two, Peter leaves for Italy and disappears with no explanation. Val is later reunited with Rick, her old high school boyfriend engaged to Julie, a woman who had nothing in common with him. On the day of Rick and Julie's wedding, Rick bails from the ceremony, realizing he has feelings for Val. Val and Rick become engaged, only to cancel the wedding after discovering Rick has commitment fears. Afterward, Val starts developing feelings for her old high school fling, a plumber named Todd (played by Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Luke Perry).
Just as Val starts to get over Rick, she learns that Rick and Julie got married after all and becomes severely depressed and recklessly goes out partying all night. After a drunken night in Atlantic City, she dreams that she married the plumber to wake up and learn that she had actually married Vic instead. Fearful of getting hurt again, Val refuses to accept being married to him, despite being attracted to him. She eventually accepts the sincerity of his love for her and reciprocates his feelings for her. After learning their original marriage was not valid since the officiant who married them was not licensed, they marry for real in the company of family and friends in the series finale.
Val was either born in the late 1970s or early 1980s.