DALLAS Wyndham International presented the first-ever 2001 Women On Their Way Award to Heidi Van Arnem, chairman/CEO of iCan.com, for her successful balance of industry and community. Van Arnem, of Birmingham, MI, was awarded $100,000 and was selected from more than 600 nominees nationwide.
Van Arnem suffered a severe spinal cord injury at the age of 16, which left her a quadriplegic. She established the Heidi Van Arnem Foundation to find a cure for paralysis and to educate the public about people with disabilities. A frequent business traveler and former travel agency owner, Van Arnem plans to use the $100,000 to hire a personal assistant to help with the logistics of business travel. (2/21/01)