Elevating Governance. Empowering Boards.

With a strategic mindset and a detail-driven approach, Ascend Governance will help your organization to strengthen compliance, enhance board operations, engage members, and support sound decision-making—so your organization can thrive with confidence.

Equipping Boards to Lead with Confidence and Clarity.

Our service offerings are customizable based on your needs.

  • Governance Consulting

    Governance framework development

    Standing Board Actions, and elected leader policy analysis

    Democratic process to engage boards and management

  • Board Training

    Governance 101: Roles, responsibilities, and fiduciary duties

    One-on-one onboarding sessions or cohort-based learning, virtual or in person

    Customized onboarding programs

  • Board Election Management

    Election timeline planning and process design

    Term limits, reappointment, and rotation strategies

    Identify, evaluate, and engage board candidates who align with your mission, values, and strategic needs

  • Member Engagement & Recruitment

    Messaging and outreach strategy

    Communication protocols for transparency and trust

    Engagement metrics and feedback loops

About

Ascend Governance LLC

Who We Are Ascend Governance is a boutique consulting firm specializing in boots on the ground governance frameworks, member recruitment and engagement, director onboarding and training, and election management. We bring deep expertise in governance policy, board operations, engagement, compliance, and strategic alignment to help organizations thrive in an increasingly complex landscape.

Our Philosophy We believe effective governance is not just about oversight—it’s about foresight. Our approach blends structure with strategy, ensuring your board is equipped to lead with purpose, integrity, and impact for future generations.

We tailor our service and strategies to fit your structure, values, and goals. No out of the box governance processes.

Elevating your governance policies and processes is our goal. You’ll receive custom services that fit your needs, whether it’s working with us side by side, or coordinating with your attorney we have services that ascend you to the next level of governance.

Building Stronger Boards Through Strategic Selection and Seamless Elections At Ascend Governance, we help organizations elevate their board recruitment and election processes with clarity, integrity, and setting you up for board success.

From identifying the right candidates to ensuring a smooth and transparent election, we provide the structure and support to build boards that are diverse, capable, and future-ready.

Meet the team

Tracy is the Founder and President of Ascend Governance, a consulting firm dedicated to elevating board performance through strategic governance and specialized paralegal support. With a professional foundation as a governance paralegal, she brings deep expertise in board operations, compliance frameworks, and legal documentation. Her work is defined by a rare blend of precision, strategic insight, and a commitment to helping organizations lead with clarity and confidence.

Tracy has over 20 years of governance and legal paralegal experience. Tracy holds degrees in Criminal Justice, from South Dakota State University, and Paralegal studies, from ABA accredited university, Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Tracy earned her certification as a Certified Fraud Examiner (“CFE”) through ACFE in 2017. Tracy is also a Certified Minnesota Paralegal (“MnCP”).

Tracy has supported a wide range of mission-driven entities—from nonprofits to fortune 250 enterprises—helping them build stronger boards, streamline governance processes, and directly working with top attorneys to align leadership with long-term governance strategy. Her work is grounded in the belief that effective governance is not just about oversight—it’s about foresight and sustaining a lasting impact.

Tracy is known for her strategic thinking, clear communication, and ability to translate complex governance challenges into actionable solutions. Whether facilitating director onboarding, advising on elections, or designing governance frameworks, she partners with clients to elevate their leadership and strengthen their organizational governance foundation.

When she’s not working with clients, Tracy is often contributing to animal right initiatives, supporting conservation efforts, or exploring the intersection of governance and social impact.

📍 Based in Rogers, Minnesota | Serving clients nationwide

Tracy Salwei, MnCP, CFE

Founder, President & Governance Paralegal

Addison

Accounting Intern

Addison assists our team with accounting services and back-office support. She recently graduated high school with honors.

Addison will be pursuing her bachelor’s degree in accounting at Florida Institute of Technology in the Fall.

Contact us.

At Ascend Governance, we specialize in delivering precise, reliable paralegal support that empowers your governance framework to operate at its highest potential for future generations.

Connect with us to explore how our services can support your mission and elevate your governance framework and processes.

Tracy.Salwei@ascendgov.com
(952) 913-3785

13592 Birch Road
Rogers, Minnesota 55374