About Dr. Neal Finkelstein
With 37 years of experience in the defense and commercial sectors, Dr. Neal Finkelstein has distinguished himself as a leading scientist, technologist, and strategic advisor, adeptly navigating the intersection of government, academia, and industry. He is widely recognized as an expert in acquisition and procurement, as well as a fervent advocate for modeling and simulation. As the COO of an organization dedicated to delivering cutting-edge integrated technologies, Dr. Finkelstein possesses profound expertise in business development, procurement strategies, and proposal writing. His extensive knowledge spans all major federal contract vehicles, including SBIR/STTR, BAAs, OTAs, C-Contracting, and FAR. Having awarded billions of dollars across the DoD ecosystem of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Joint Program Offices, and the Department of Homeland Security, Dr. Finkelstein is now working with industry, big primes, subs, incubator companies, and start-ups.
Dr. Neal Finkelstein's extensive experience spans from supporting start-ups to large prime contractors, enabling growth and innovation across various sectors. He is a key player in addressing workforce development challenges, with a particular focus on bolstering the STEM talent pipeline. Additionally, Dr. Finkelstein has served as an Expert Witness for the Department of Justice, specializing in procurement and defense acquisition. Before his current role at the National Center for Simulation (NCS), he spent three decades in the Department of Defense, culminating as the Chief Scientist for the U.S. Army’s Modeling, Simulation, and Training (MS&T) Laboratory in Central Florida. Dr. Finkelstein holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Florida Atlantic University, a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Doctorate in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida. His education is further complemented by a Production Program Management Degree from the Army School of Engineering and Logistics and multiple Level III certifications in Science and Technology Management, Program Management, and Engineering from the Defense Acquisition University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Neal Finkelstein has led high-impact projects involving human-in-the-loop immersive training for major POM-funded DoD projects, unmanned systems, human-system integration, mobile app development, and advanced digital technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and Digital Twins. He has also supported the establishment of the Pentagon’s Army Modeling and Simulation Office and contributed to the Pentagon’s efforts in advancing military training technologies. While working on all sides of DoD NDAA budgets.
As a thought leader, Dr. Finkelstein has chaired or participated in 47 Source Selection Evaluation Boards, authored or co-authored over 70 technical publications, and served as a Faculty Scholar and Adjunct Professor for seven years at the University of Central Florida. He brings a wealth of knowledge to organizations seeking guidance in navigating digital transformation and business innovation across multiple sectors.
Dr. Finkelstein serves on several Boards of Directors across industry, academia, and government. He chairs the Governor’s Florida Defense Alliance Committee on Growth for the 21 Bases across Florida, which contributes to a $102.7 billion annual impact for the state of Florida.
He resides in Central Florida with his wife, Lysa, and two daughters, Kaitlynn and Kara.
