The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County named Leslie Negritto as the new chief financial officer.

Negritto is joining NHMLAC from Claremont Graduate University, a private graduate school that is part of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, where she is the current vice president and chief operating officer. She is expected to join the museums in February 2022.

Negritto will set strategic direction to meet the institution’s financial goals. She will also be responsible for supporting the museum’s board of rustees and committees. Negritto will replace current CFO Robin Aspinall, who announced her retirement this fall.

“We are excited to welcome Leslie to NHMLAC. Her many years of collaboration, achievements and proven financial management, along with her thoughtful approach to working effectively with diverse stakeholders, will be a tremendous asset to our institution as we enter a new phase of growth,” president and director Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga said.

Negritto’s current portfolio at CGU includes accounting and financial services, budgeting and forecasting, treasury and investments, risk management, human resources and payroll, operations and auxiliary services, and information technology.

At CGU, Negritto was responsible for fiscal and operational leadership. She joined the university as a budget director and then served as administrative dean at the Peter F. Drucker & Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management. She also held the position of associate vice president for finance and administration.

“I am excited to join the Natural History Museum Foundation and to be a part of the work they do to make natural and cultural history experiences accessible to the citizens of Los Angeles County and to visitors from around the world,” Negritto said. “Being a part of an organization that educates, entertains and inspires is an amazing opportunity.”

Negritto holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Pomona College and a master’s degree in pacific international affairs from UC San Diego’s Graduate School of Global Policy and Strategy.