TLAY DVS STAFF
JAKE BETTENCOURT
Jake was raised on a family dairy farm in California’s central valley. He has been in the dairy or livestock marketing industry in California and the Midwest since he was a young man. Since 2008 Jake has been with Turlock Livestock Auction Yard and has contributed in several capacities, including Auctioneer, Field Representative and co Manager. Along with Steve Faria, Jake began introducing video technology to herd dispersals. As the manager of the Dairy Video Sales, he oversees the process and the representatives. Jake attended the Livestock Marketing Association inaugural Pat Goggins Leadership Seminar, and has attended many LMA meetings including the annual D.C. fly in. Jake and his wife Kristin have 4 children and live in Canyon, TX. They enjoy contributing to their community by assisting various church and youth groups. The Bettencourt family enjoys supporting their children in various activities including 4H, dance, and sports. When not at home the family enjoys RV camp trips.
NATALIE SANDERS
Natalie Sanders joined the TLAY DVS team in 2017.She grew up on her family's dairy farm Fire-Lake Jerseys and showing registered jerseys on the local, state, & national levels. She attended Modesto Junior College and received two A.S. degrees in Dairy Science and Ag Business. While attending MJC she was a part of the winning Dairy Cattle Judging team and traveled to Scotland for an international judging contest. After that she returned to the dairy full time until joining the TLAY DVS team. Natalie enjoys going to cow shows with her family, reading good books and traveling.
MIKE RALLS
Mike Ralls has been a member of the TLAY DVS team since March of 2018. Mike grew up in Modesto California and was very active in exhibiting livestock across the country until he started college at Cal Poly SLO. Mike and his wife Stephanie have 3 young girls that share in the same hobbies of exhibiting livestock. In the fall of 2019 mike and Stephanie decided to sell their herd of Jersey cows and focus on spending more quality time as a family. In addition to working with the team at TLAY, Mike still farms corn, oats and alfalfa, and sells dairy commodities for the A.L. Gilbert feed company. In his spare time Mike likes to be involved in community activities, or just spend relaxing time with family and friends. Pease feel free to reach out to Mike directly at any time to discuss your marketing needs, or just to talk about industry happenings in your area.
TABITHA XAVIER
Tabitha Xavier is a graduate from California State University, Fresno where she received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business, Minor in Marketing, and Certificate of Finance. Tabitha has grown up exposed to the agriculture industry her whole life working with her family’s business, where she found her passion for the dairy industry. She showed dairy cattle in both 4-H and FFA at the county fairs growing up and joined the Fresno State show team as well. She also spent some time working on dairy unit and helping host FFA field days during her time at Fresno State. Tabitha enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. Tabitha has been interning with us for the past year, upon graduation she will be joining the TLAY Dairy Video Sale team full time as Staff Support and a representative in the Southern Valley of California.
ROBIN COZZITORTO-MATTOS
For Robin, the auction business is all she knows. Her dad Bud founded Turlock Livestock Auction Yard in the 70s which was located in Turlock, California on East Avenue, before moving to today’s location in 1984. Robin followed in the footsteps of her dad Bud and mom Karen by dedicating her life to the auction business just as they did. Robin has a passion to keep her parents vision thriving, with sales every day of the week except Thursdays.
Robin grew up in Hilmar, CA and was active in the 4-H and FFA, showing and judging Dairy cattle. Robin and her husband Johnny reside in Hilmar, Ca raising their 3 children; Falynn, Camryn, and Brigham. Their weekends are usually spent supporting their kids in all their extra-curricular activities such as dance, softball, soccer, and swim. They also enjoy spending their free weekends at the lake or on a family camping trip with friends.
Robin has enjoyed contributing to the video sale team and loves to see the growth that has been realized. Robin is always happy to contribute to on and off-site sales to offer their customers quality service. Additionally she oversees the all business operations.
KRISTIN ROLLIN
Kristin Rollin is our TLAY Dairy Video Sales representative in the Texas panhandle. Kristin grew up on her family's dairy in Modesto, California, where she developed her love and passion for the dairy industry. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obsipo in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Science and minor in Agribusiness. She and her husband, Westin, married in 2018 and moved to Dalhart, TX where they currently reside. Her family owns and operates a dairy in Hartley, TX, where she spends some of her free time. When she isn't at the dairy she enjoys spending time on the lake and playing with her fur child, Paisley, a mini-australian shepherd puppy. Kristin and her husband have 2 beautiful children.
CRAIG WEICHEL
Craig was raised on a farm in Ft Collins Co, where he raised replacement dairy heifers with his dad and grandfather. After graduating from CSU, he continued farming, ranching, and raising heifers.
Craig has been involved in the livestock marketing industry since 2002, working in several capacities including Yard Foreman, a market representative and an auctioneer. Craig has been with TLAY since June 2018. He lives in Weldona CO, where he is also the ranch manager for the DT Ranch.
Craig enjoys horses, rodeo, hunting and traveling.
ERIN MAROTZ
Erin Marotz from Wahoo, NE grew up on a registered Holstein operation in Northeast Nebraska. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, he returned home for a couple of years before taking a job with UNL as the Dairy Research Unit Manager. Erin along with his wife Nancy and their two children Tyler and Morgan also own and operate En-Mar Holsteins, a small group of registered Holstein show cattle. Since 2008, they have bred or exhibited over 12 All-American or Junior All-American nominations. They also operate TMZ Show cattle breeding and selling beef club calves. If Erin has any free time, he enjoys bird hunting, fishing, and boating with his family.
EMILY UNRAU
Emily Unrau is a soon to be graduate of Oregon State University with a B.S. in Agricultural Business Management. She has a passion for agriculture that’s grown day by day from her family’s farm in the small town of Scio, Oregon. Emily enjoys four-wheeling in the mountains and camping trips with her boyfriend Tristan Huntington.
RJ HARTNAGLE
RJ Hartnagle has just recently joined the team at TLAY DVS. Although he and TLAY have been doing business together for the better part of two decades. RJ is a native to Colorado and been involved in marketing dairy cattle since he was a teenager. The business runs in his veins, starting as a young man working alongside his father who specialized in complete farm sales in addition to raising and marketing dairy heifers in Colorado. For the last 40 plus years RJ has been on his own, growing and marketing heifers in Colorado and across the United States. His travels have seen him truly travel coast to coast to fit his customers needs. A resident of Platteville, CO in his spare time he enjoys golf and is an avid sports fan. RJ Hartnagle and Craig Weichel now serve as a duo serving Colorado and surrounding states.