Norwich Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellowship Presented to Three Recipients
By Stephen Flanders
2025 Melvin Jones Fellows, Kyle Koehler, Jay Van Arman (progressive), and Cheryl Herrman
December 9, 2025 Norwich: At its end-of-year holiday dinner, the Norwich Lions Club bestowed its highest honor, the Melvin Jones Fellowship, for the 2024-5 club year on three people, Kyle Koehler, Jay Van Arman (progressive award), and Cheryl Herrman. Jay is a former member of the Norwich Club and Cheryl is a member of the community at large.
Kyle Koehler received the award in recognition of his high degree of dedication to the club’s activities, including Zoom support of club meetings, co-management of the dunk tank at the Norwich Fair, and maintenance of the club’s social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. Kyle is the youngest member of the club and takes an interest in supporting its District 45 activities, as well.
Melvin Jones Fellow (2000), Jay Van Arman, received a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship for his continued service to his new community of Randolph, Vermont, where he still drives school buses, plays taps at veterans’ funeral services, delivers meals on wheels—and jokes—to those in need, shelves books at the thrift store, and helps direct traffic at accident scenes.
Cheryl Herrman received the award for her service in support of the Norwich community on a large number of boards, councils, and committees in service of the town’s businesses, its children, and its inhabitants.
Norwich Lions Club President, Rosanne Maguire, presented the awards during the club's annual holiday dinner at the Coolidge Hotel in White River Junction, Vermont.
The Melvin Jones Fellowship reflects the backbone of Lions Club service. The award is presented to those who donate $1,000 to the Lions Clubs International Foundation or to people for whom a donation was made by others. The Norwich Lions Club bestows this honor on those who have made a notable contribution to the advancement of the club or its activities. The fellowship memorializes the legacy of Melvin Jones, who developed Lions Clubs International as an international service organization. The progressive award is for recipients, who are already Melvin Jones Fellows.
Kyle Koehler biographical background
Kyle Koehler receives Melvin Jones Fellowship award from Lion King, Roseanne Maguire.
Kyle Koehler was born in Stony Brook, New York in 19987. He spent his early years on Long Island with his parents and two brothers. In 2005, the family relocated to Norwich, Vermont, where he received his education, graduating from Hanover High School in 2017. His academic specialty of culinary arts led to his employment with the dining services department at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. His diligent savings and extensive use of public transportation allowed him to purchase a condominium near his place of work.
Koehler earned the rank of Eagle Scout with his Boy Scout Troop 253, which he continues to support. He and his family are passionate skiers. His two favorite modes of transport are bicycle and Advanced Transit, where he is on a first-name-basis with its many bus drivers.
Jay Van Arman biographical background
Jay Van Arman receives PMJ award from Lion King, Roseanne Maguire.
One night while attending the University of Connecticut, at a lively mixer, Jay Van Arman—carrying a plate piled high with cookies—tripped on a light cord and quite literally fell into the lap of Debby Pierce. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Jay and Deb were married in 1970. Shortly thereafter, Deb’s father, a dairy farmer, passed away suddenly, leaving the future of the family farm uncertain. Though Jay had no farming experience, he stepped in with an endless supply of can-do spirit and determination. Over the years he has worn many hats—farmer, school bus driver, and retired postal carrier.
Jay’s leadership in the community is as broad as his daily repertoire of jokes. He has served on the Norwich Select Board, the Cemetery and Zoning Commissions, as a Justice of the Peace, and as a dedicated member of the Catholic Church. You might think that retirement would slow him down, but the opposite is true. Jay is more active than ever in the Randolph community.
He still drives school buses (sometimes logging 160 miles a day), plays taps at veterans’ funeral services, delivers meals on wheels—and jokes—to those in need, shelves books at the thrift store, helps direct traffic at accident scenes, and, of course, makes hay when the sun shines.
Jay never slows down, never leaves the table hungry, and never stops helping people.
Cheryl Herrman biographical background
Cheryl Herrman receives Melvin Jones Fellowship award from Lion King, Roseanne Maguire.
Cheryl Herrman graduated from college in New York and came to the Upper Valley in the mid 1970s, where she met her husband, Peter. They settled in Norwich, where she embarked on a successful career in real estate, having founded her own firm. They raised two children and launched them on their careers. Along the way, the couple enjoyed traveling to the Caribbean and beyond.
Herrman has served as president of the state and regional boards of realtors and was active local Chamber of Commerce, the Norwich Business Council, and other business-related activities. Some of her community initiatives become traditions in Norwich, including Halloween pumpkin carving parties for Norwich school children and support of Norwich's community trick-or-treat event.
Hermann chaired the Go Red Auction committee to raise money for cancer research, served on the town's Conservation Commission and helped organize many activities for the Norwich Women's Club, where she chaired the "Citizen of the Year" committee. She raised substantial funds for the Beaver Meadow Schoolhouse Association by organizing and running an annual mulch sale. As the spouse of a Norwich Lion, she has provided timely support to the club’s initiatives.
About the Norwich Lions Club
Lions Clubs International (LCI) is the world’s largest service organization comprising 1.4 million members belonging to 48,000 Lions Clubs in 200 countries. LCI was founded in Evansville, Indiana in 1916 by William Perry Woods and subsequently evolved as an international service organization under the guidance and supervision of its secretary, Melvin Jones for whom the Fellowship is named.
The Lions motto is “We Serve”. Lions Club initiatives include vision, hunger, the environment, pediatric cancer and diabetes, international relations, environmental issues, and many other programs.
Since it was Chartered on June 4, 1954 the Norwich Lions Club (NLC) has proudly served Norwich and surrounding communities. The NLC recently expanded some of its service to include the Town of Hartford. The NLC belongs to Vermont’s Lions District 45 (State of Vermont).
The first Norwich Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellowship recipient was Lions Past District Governor Phil Wheeler who was honored in 1991. Since then, the Fellowship has been awarded to 47 members and prominent community members, including: Red Logan, Dr. Joe Grant, Ray Royce, Jay Van Arman, Dr. John Lawe, Henry Scheier, Demo Sofronas, Dr. “Rusty” Bernal, Dr. Rob and Laurie Sabatelle, Donna Wheeler, Harjit Rakhra, Cheryl Brush, Fran and Gary De Gasta, Brion McMullen, Debbie Van Arman, Mel Aaron, Peter Stanzel, Stephen Flanders, Nicolaas Bekker, Bonnie Munday, Glenn Britton, Roseanne Maguire and David Lemal.
The NLC usually meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month in the Community Room of the Norwich Public Library at 6:30 pm.
