Steve Oldham became president and CEO of SureWest Communications on January 1, 2006. He joined the Board in January 2004 and was chair of the Audit Committee from June 2004 until December 2005. He was previously a senior advisor to The Brattle Group, and also served in many capacities during his 26-year career with Sierra Pacific Resources, before retiring in 2003 as its senior vice president, energy services. Oldham began his career with Sierra Pacific Resources in 1976 and thereafter held various positions with increasing responsibility including serving as senior vice president, strategic planning from 1999 to 2001 and as vice president, strategic planning from 1997 to 1999 and vice president, treasurer from 1994 to 1997.

He earned a B.S. degree in accounting in 1976 from the University of Utah. Oldham also spent three years in the electronic intelligence gathering agency of the United States Army on the Shemya, Alaska Army Base prior to attending college in 1972. In 2006, he became a board member for the United States Telecom Association, whose 18 members represent over 800 companies across the U.S.