Crossland among KC's top young entrepreneurs

  Thursday, October 27, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

When Mattie Crossland sat down for dinner with her husband Derek Haverkamp last week, she had more on her mind than just food.

“Derek spent our dinner together eating and reviewing project plans with me,” said Crossland, a 2012 graduate of Pittsburg State and now the construction manager at LANE4 Property Group in Kansas City, Mo. “He probably didn’t plan on that after his own stressful day at work.”

But as Crossland has long believed, being successful in business means the work day doesn’t always end when you leave the office at 5 p.m.

“It takes an unwavering positive attitude, intense dedication and an understanding that the hard work doesn’t end just because the clock struck 5 to multiply success across all that you do,” she said. “I strive to always exceed the demands of my projects.”

Her hard work and devotion led Crossland to be named to the 2016 Class of “20 in Their Twenties,” an initiative of Ingram’s Magazine Kansas City that recognizes achievements and promise of the area’s young entrepreneurs.

Crossland said she was “grateful and inspired” by the recognition.

“On one hand, I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized for my work and accomplishments,” she said. “And on the other, I was fortunate enough to be included in a class of so many other great achievers. That just goes to show there is so much more I could be doing.  It certainly makes me want to drive harder toward some of my future goals.”

Crossland graduated from PSU with a construction management degree. She said it’s the program’s high standards for excellence that convinced her to enroll.

“When it came time for me to make the decision on where to go to college, I toured many other schools, big and small,” she said. “PSU was the gold standard to me in about every way. The construction management program is one of the best in the country.”

Her time as a student at Pitt State, she said, helped her connect with many people who have helped her throughout her already successful career.

“The program is integrally connected with companies that lead the industry and the partnerships they form allow for that real work experience to be brought to a classroom level,” she said. “Whether it was a certification class, a field trip, internship, or speaker series, the professors really strived to put you into contact with those industry leaders.

“You graduate from the construction management program with not only a foundation of knowledge for success,” she said. “but also with a network of peers who help you grow. Some of the people who have been my most influential mentors are PSU graduates.”