County agriculture leaders honored during Mid-State Fair awards ceremony
The 2025 award recipients are Jill Twisselman Heely for Cattleman of the Year, Debbie Arnold for CattleWoman of the Year, and Marty Settevendemie for Agriculturalist of the Year.
Agriculturalist, CattleWoman, Cattleman of the Year named
– The San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, San Luis Obispo County CattleWomen’s Association, and San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s Association recognized three individuals for their contributions to agriculture during the California Mid-State Fair’s annual Cattlemen and Farmers Day on July 17 at 6:30 p.m. The event was held at the Paso Robles Pavilion, located on the north side of the fairgrounds at 2198 Riverside Ave.
The 2025 award recipients were Marty Settevendemie, named Agriculturalist of the Year; Debbie Arnold, named CattleWoman of the Year; and Jill Twisselman Heely, named Cattleman of the Year. Approximately 1,500 people attended the awards presentation.
“Every year, San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s Association, and San Luis Obispo County CattleWomen select an individual who has served the agricultural industry and our community through farming, ranching, and advocating for agriculture. This tradition started in 1963,” said Farm Bureau Executive Director Paul Clark. “These recipients are all outstanding contributors to our agricultural economy and culture. For three consecutive years, San Luis Obispo County total crop and livestock value has exceeded one billion dollars.”
Marty Settevendemie, Agriculturalist of the Year
San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau named Marty Settevendemie the 2025 Agriculturalist of the Year. He serves as Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures for San Luis Obispo County, overseeing programs that protect agricultural resources, ensure fair commerce, and promote environmental stewardship.
Settevendemie was born in Lakewood, Ohio, and raised in Southern California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry and natural resources management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He began his career as a fisheries technician for the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service, and later worked for a private firm conducting pesticide research.
He joined the San Luis Obispo County Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures in 2000 as a temporary agricultural inspector/biologist, became permanent staff in 2001, was promoted to deputy agricultural commissioner in 2005, and appointed commissioner in 2011. He has served in leadership roles with the California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, including president, and is a member of the National Council on Weights and Measures and the Western Weights and Measures Association.
Settevendemie resides in Los Osos with his partner, Wendy. The Farm Bureau has given the Agriculturalist of the Year award annually since 1988. He is the 37th recipient.
Debbie Arnold, CattleWoman of the Year
The San Luis Obispo County CattleWomen’s Association named Debbie Arnold the 2025 CattleWoman of the Year. Arnold was born in Walnut Creek in 1955 and raised near Fremont. She moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly as an animal science major, living with her aunt, Susan Jones, in Pozo.
Arnold married Steve Arnold in 1975. The couple lived and worked on several cattle ranches in San Luis Obispo County. Their son, Joey, was born in 1978 and their daughter, Michelle, in 1980. Both live locally with their spouses and help with ranch operations.
Arnold earned a degree in early childhood education from Cuesta College and operated Small Wonders Preschool in Atascadero for 17 years. She later worked for County Supervisor Mike Ryan and then for Assemblyman and Senator Sam Blakeslee as a legislative assistant and field representative.
Arnold joined the CattleWomen’s Association in 1980 and has participated in fundraising and educational activities, including the Great AgVenture, fashion shows, casino night, and Ag Day at the fair. She served on the ag task force and the Paso Robles agriculture business tour committee.
Arnold was elected to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors in 2012, representing the Fifth District, and retired in January. She now helps with her family’s cattle operations and Vintage Cowboy Winery business. She spends time with her four granddaughters: Laney and Josie Arnold, and Reagan and Emery Pascoe.
Arnold is the 60th recipient of the award, which has been given annually since 1965.
Jill Twisselman Heely, Cattleman of the Year
The San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s Association named Jill Twisselman Heely the 2025 Cattleman of the Year. Heely was born in 1960 in Paso Robles and raised on her family’s cattle ranch in Bitterwater. She is the daughter of James “Buster” and Loretta Twisselman. She is married to Robert Heely and has two daughters, Kaitlin de Jong and Madison Heely.
Heely attended Choice Valley School and later Shandon High School. She showed steers through 4-H and FFA at the California Mid-State Fair. After high school, she attended the University of Southern California, later transferring to Fresno State University, where she earned a degree in business administration with a focus on health care administration.
She worked as assistant controller and then chief financial officer at Twin Cities Community Hospital and Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. She received two national CFO of the Year awards while working for Tenet Health and National Medical Enterprises.
After her father’s death in 1999, Heely began managing Lazy JT Land and Cattle, which spans 30,000 acres in San Luis Obispo and Kern counties. The operation runs 400 to 600 mother cows and includes extensive infrastructure upgrades such as new fencing, water troughs, corrals and scales.
Heely emphasizes improved Black Angus genetics, rotational grazing and expanded water distribution. Her herd has earned praise from buyers across multiple states. She serves on the boards of the San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s Association, San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s PAC, and the California Cattlemen’s Foundation.
She also served on the board of Twin Cities Community Hospital from 2002 to 2007 and is a founding board member of the Cancer Support Community, Central Coast. She and her husband were recently recognized as philanthropists of the year.
The association has given the Cattleman of the Year award annually since 1963. Heely is the 60th recipient.
