About Alan B. Salisbury

“My message is if you believe in yourself, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish,” says Dr. Alan Salisbury. And Salisbury’s is indeed proof of the limitless possibilities of positive thinking. From an illustrious 30-year military career, in which he pioneered the use of computers on the battlefield and earned the rank of Major General, to a highly successful 12-year tenure in executive roles in the field of IT, to a full schedule as an independent consultant, Salisbury’s life has been defined by the axiom that self-belief equals achievement.

When a few business ventures yielded a windfall of good fortune, Salisbury decided to direct his profits to the best investment of all: Giving back. Inspired by his military career, he founded the Code of Support Foundation dedicated to supporting troops, veterans and military families and motivating Americans to serve in their own way to keep the nation strong. On another level, capitalizing on his own creative interests, he established Opus One Studios as a uniquely structured venture to benefit some of his favorite charities.

Centered around the Opus One Studios brand, he’s offering a variety of socially conscious creative products whose earnings will go to support select beneficiary causes. Salisbury announces the brand through releasing a new children’s book he authored, The Legend of Ranger, the Reindeer Who Couldn’t Fly, and the book’s companion song which he composed “Dream and Believe (Ranger’s Song).” All profits from this project will go to support the Antonia J. Giallourakis Endowed Fund in Art Therapy for Children with Cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Two key events led to this new era of dedicated philanthropy: The passing of the wife of one of Salisbury’s closest army buddies (she was an art teacher and died from cancer), and two companies on whose boards he served enjoying significant transactions (in one case, an IPO, and in the other case, being acquired). “Suddenly, I was in a strong financial position. I didn’t have to work anymore, so I decided to concentrate on doing work for charities, starting my own foundation, and creating Opus One Studios,” he says.

The Legend of Ranger, the Reindeer Who Couldn’t Fly is a riveting and warmly inspiring tale about star Santa reindeer Rudolph’s brother, Ranger, and his quest to fly. Salisbury’s writing is quaintly elegant, and the story—perfect for 4-9 year olds—is a fable-like tale with sweeping drama and an exhilarating and poignant conclusion.

Accompanying the book is a jewel of a folk-pop tune called “Dream And Believe” which outlines the Ranger story without revealing the gripping ending. The track was recorded in Nashville by Salisbury’s good friend, producer Paul Busdiecker, and features a quartet from the Nashville Symphony with angelic vocals courtesy of Mary Allen.

“I would say the ideals in the book and song evolved from my early leadership roles and experiences,” Salisbury explains. His Army career began with his graduation from West Point, and its “Be all that you can be” ethos has been a guiding principle throughout his life. Salisbury holds MS and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from Stanford University. His military decorations include 2 bronze star medals and the Distinguished Service Medal.

He developed his strong interest in education while teaching at West Point. Not long after receiving his Ph.D., he developed a pioneering computer board game called Computer Rage that was an entertaining tutorial for children aimed at understanding computer fundamentals and binary numbers. The game was published in a sold-out edition of 10,000 copies by Creative Computing Magazine.

Salisbury’s integrity and determination have paid off in many ways, and now that he can share his good fortune both as an inspiration and a monetary supporter, he’s overjoyed. “Giving back is very important,” he says reflectively. “It’s been wonderful to be able to make a difference. It’s actually been more satisfying than anything else in my professional life.”

Photos

Videos