Sherilyn Arnecke became involved in the cattle ranch industry due to the influence of her grandfather, Freddie Schmidt, who had no grandsons and relayed all his knowledge to her throughout her upbringing. Her family on her mother’s side has consisted of cattle ranchers since 1850—arriving in Texas’s Victoria County in 1857—and, as she puts it, “cows run in her blood.” Since 2006, Ms. Arnecke has excelled as the owner of E4 Cattle Company, in which she raises registered Black Angus cattle, as well as crossbr
Backed by an Associate of Arts in liberal arts from Victoria College from 1970, Ms. Arnecke has also served in various civic positions in her community. Since 2015, she has been director, a district member and the first woman to serve on the board of the Victoria Soil and Water Conservation. She has also been a volunteer with Zion Lutheran of Mission Valley and a member of the American Angus Association.
Ms. Arnecke ultimately attributes the success of her career to proving her early self-doubt wrong, which pushed her to get her foot in the door and grasp how to handle the animals herself. With this sentiment, she cites her career highlight was her acceptance into the Angus World as a breeder, seller and as a woman, which is a major accomplishment in the industry. Looking ahead, Ms. Arnecke hopes to do some traveling with her husband and have her two children assist on the farm.