Valerie Blair assumed organist duties in Advent of 2013 for Second First Church. She is also the collaborative pianist for choirs at Rock Valley College and ElysianVoices, and teaches Musikgarten classes for babies through preschoolers at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center. Second First has been her church home and family for 16 years. She lives in Rockford, with her teenaged son, Ben, and occasionally with her college-aged daughter, Jessica. The entire family has created wonderful memories and made lifelong friends from their experiences here, especially Tower Hill, Snow Camp and mission trips