From the dot-com boom to the introduction of artificial intelligence, Nick Rogness has been there for it all.
“It’s been a ride,” he says. “And it’s been a lot of fun.”
Now, Rogness is looking to the future.
Rogness was named general manager and CEO of Golden West Telecommunications in May 2025 following the retirement of longtime CEO Denny Law. He also joined the SDN Communications Board of Managers, attending his first board meeting just two weeks after his promotion.
“We were extremely excited when the Golden West Board named Nick as Denny’s replacement,” says SDN Communications CEO Ryan Punt. “He brings a ton of expertise both on the technical side and the business side. I look forward to working more closely with him in the years to come.”
For Rogness, the transition into the CEO position is the culmination of years in the telecommunications industry and nearly 25 years with Golden West, an SDN Communications member company providing internet, television and phone services to much of West River. “When this opportunity came up, the timing was right. I think Golden West is a great company and I have exceptional coworkers; and I wanted to continue to be a part of that.”
Born in Montana, Rogness attended South Dakota Mines in Rapid City in the mid-90s to study computer science. While at Mines, he began working with a local internet company called RapidNet. The job offered him real-world hands-on experience that truly resonated with him. “I distinctly remember hooking people up (with the internet) for the first time ever … and people were just giddy,” he says. “That experience of connecting people was pretty inspirational.”
During that same period, the dot-com boom took off, and Rogness made the decision to put his degree on hold and chase work in the fast-moving tech industry. He became a consultant, working throughout the country with countless companies and tech professionals. The experience was life changing.
“It was about everything you could imagine from the movies … It was ‘We need this built, we need this done and I don’t care what it costs.’ ” The resources were seemingly endless and tech professionals jumped from job to job. IPOs popped up everywhere. “It was a lot of fun. Everyone was trying to get into the internet and ecommerce.”
The dot-com boom eventually came to an end in 2000, when the market “fell apart.” By 2001, Rogness was ready for something new. As fortune would have it, he received a call. RapidNet had been purchased by Golden West and they wanted to hire him to join the organization. The timing was right. Rogness accepted, returning to Rapid City and beginning work with Golden West while also finishing up his computer science degree at Mines.
He has been with Golden West ever since, holding a variety of positions, including engineering manager, director of broadband services, director of engineering and operations and most recently, chief technology officer.
Rogness has literally watched from the inside as the industry went from dial-up internet to fiber optic technology. It’s a trajectory that’s awe-inspiring, even for him. “When you first see fiber optics … it’s just insane when you think about it. We are shooting photons of light through glass fiber … it’s phenomenal and we all take it for granted.”
As he looks to the future of Golden West and the industry as a whole, Rogness is optimistic and excited. Golden West is finishing up its 15-year fiber optic upgrade project, which will make all of its facilities fiber. “We are 85% complete on that,” he says. With the fiber project nearly complete, Golden West can pivot even more toward improving the customer experience. “Being even more of a customer centric operator,” he says. “It’s about the customers. We built this great car and now we have to figure out how to drive it the right way to get the most out of it for our customers … Explore what it’s capable of.”
Rogness believes the tech industry will continue to evolve, with technology becoming even more integrated into people’s lives. He predicts that his 10-year-old daughter Vanessa will probably be a driver, but her children and grandchildren will most likely live in a world of completely autonomous vehicles. “They’re far safer. You’ll probably also have the same evolution in more personalized aircrafts.” Artificial intelligence will continue to be a prominent factor in the lives of people. “Obviously the internet has been a game changing thing for the world and I believe AI will be the same.”
Rogness says he also looks forward to playing a role in SDN Communication’s future, noting that the company has provided a critical “backbone of connectivity to the whole region.”
“Supporting SDN’s growth and future is something we all talk about,” he says. “They’ve built an amazing organization and I’m proud to be a part of that organization. And I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s next for SDN. I think the future is bright for SDN, Golden West and the industry as a whole.”
