Claude Flynn

Head Coach/General Manager

With the cancellation of the Vermont Bucks 2018 season, Coach Flynn landed a coaching job in his hometown with the Atlanta Havoc. There, Coach Flynn would be an Assistant working as the Offensive line and Special teams coach. It would be there where he captured another Championship season in the AAL (American Arena League) 2018.

Coach Flynn’s heart is still in Vermont and will return for the 2022 season as General Manager/Head Coach of the new Vermont Brew. Coach Flynn and his defensive backs unit was an integral part of the Bucks winning the 2017 CAN- AM Championship. The unit combined with a league high 28 interceptions. Coach Flynn has also coached at the NCAA College prep level where he served as defensive backs coach in 2014. In 2010 he served as the defensive backs coach at Westlake High School in Atlanta. In addition, from 2003-2009 he served as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Georgia Xtreme a minor league team in Atlanta, winning a National Championship in 2005. In 2006 Coach Flynn was promoted to Assistant Head Coach adding a return visit to the National Championship in 2006.

Since 2006 one of Coach Flynn's greatest accomplishments has been Game Changers Sports and Mentoring where he has trained student athletes, sponsored numerous events, volunteered in the community, and touch the lives of many Atlanta Metropolitan youth.

Claude has been married to his high school sweetheart Ronda for 25 years, and together they have two beautiful children CJ and Lauryn.

Michael Mazzella

Assistant General Manager/Director of Team Operations

Michael Joins the brew after spending one year with the 2017 champion Vermont Bucks as their equipment manager. He will be in charge of managing the daily team operations. He recently left coaching high school football after eight seasons where he also was responsible for fitting players for helmets and shoulder pads. He began working as a special assistant to the head coach/football operations intern in 2006 with the Albany Conquest of the arena 2 football league He was also an intern for the University at Albany and the College of Saint Rose equipment rooms.

Michael holds two bachelor's degrees in biology and chemistry and a Master’s of Education. He currently teaches chemistry at the Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington, VT. Michael lives in Milton with his wife Kelli.

 Jessica Wallace

Team and Community Development Director

Jessica Wallace Director of Team Development and Community Relations is a crucial part of our team. She is a high school graduate of Vermont Academy, grew up in the NEK, and now calls Burlington home. There isn’t a part of Vermont Jessica doesn’t know. She has been a nurse in the healthcare field for over 10 years now, attended Champlain College but if you ask her what her greatest title she has it's to be called mom by her 9-year-old Julia whom you’ll often find next to her side on game days.

Jessica is a crucial part of the Brew team by developing both our team and player's presence and most often is seen mothering our team mascot Hoppy as he learns to call Vermont home alongside most of our out-of-state players. Not only has she helped design our team's presence both in Vermont with her eye for design and entertainment. She also is an avid crafter, and home DIY when in her spare time blogs on both TIKTok for kicks or punches but also within Rust-oelum’s Creators Studio. So if there’s anything you need and or from-with our team AT ALL or NEED to know please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jessica and don’t fear we know she can, make it, save it, write it, fix it or entertain it just like all of us here at Vermont Brew Inc. As Jessica will ALWAYS says just #GOBREW

John Kromer

Sales Manager-Addison County/Announcer

John comes to the Brew Family to head up our Sales efforts and to be the In-Arena “Voice” of the BREW!!  He is a Senior Level Business Development/Sales Professional with nearly 35 years of experience ranging from the Fortune 100 to Small Direct to Consumer clientele.  His background is in Consulting, Coaching, Sales and Customer Relationship Management in a variety of industries including Insurance, Financial Services, Telecommunications, Healthcare IT, Logistics and Transportation.  Since coming to Vermont in 2011, John has spent much of his time in Community Outreach and Volunteer organizations including The United Way and in volunteer work in his community of Bristol.

John resides in Bristol with his Partner, Darla, and their cat, Angus T. MacKitten.  You can reach him for Sponsorship opportunities at:  john@vermontbrewfootball.org or by phone or text at 207-314-9797. 

Sama Hayyat

Food Service Director

Sama Hayyat has resided in Middlebury for most of his life. As a former Middlebury Union High School Tigers player and graduate, he graduated from Culinary school and started his career. 

Managing and owning restaurants and cafes has led him to the food director position he currently holds with the Abbey Group of VT. There, he is the overseer of the nutrition program for Rice Memorial, Saint Francis Xavier, Christ the king, and the Winooski schools. 

Steve “Wish” Shannon

In-Game Entertainment Director

Steve “Wish” Shannon is a Vermont native hailing from the North East Kingdom. He began his entertainment career at 19, busking as a dancer and MC on the Church Street Market Place in Burlington. In 2007 he moved to Orlando, Florida to perform full time at Universal Studios theme park. From there he went on to work with and perform for many companies such as the Orlando Magic (including four playoff seasons, one NBA finals season), Disney World, Busch Gardens Tampa, Carnival Cruise Lines, and the World Famous Harlem Globe Trotters.

Currently residing in Burlington, he is a regular guest teaching artist in the dance programs at Lyndon Institute, Lamoille Union High School, and the University of Vermont. manages his own downtown Burlington dance studio/performance venue Swan Dojo. Being a huge football fan, working with the Brew allows him two combine two passions of sports and entertainment into one.