Meet our Team
Managing Directors
Based in Irvine, California, Jacinto Munoz is a Managing Director and Principal for Cogito Realty Partners. Mr. Munoz is a U.S. Navy Veteran and joins Cogito Realty Partners with more than 25 years of experience in valuation, lending, litigation support, eminent domain, arbitration, mediation, deposition, underwriting, review, development, expert witness, and environmental real estate roles, with extensive valuation experience across all asset types nationwide and internationally.
Prior to joining Cogito Realty Partners, Jacinto served as a Managing Director and Head of Strategy and Compliance for Apprise by Walker and Dunlop. Jacinto also served in a variety of roles with JPMorgan Chase Bank, which included serving the bank as a Regional Appraisal Manager, National Commercial Lending (CML) Review manager and most recently, in a senior leadership role as the National CTL Appraisal Manager, which was responsible for leading a team of more than 100 managers, appraisers,
and administrative professionals nationwide.
Shortly after leaving the Navy, Jacinto began his career in 1995 on the sales and lending side of the real estate industry before moving to a boutique real estate appraisal and consulting firm in Southern California.
In 2000, along with several partners, Jacinto co-founded Appraisal Specialists. This firms specialized in assortment of appraisal services that included engagements for a variety of institutional lenders and investors, local and regional federally-regulated banks, life companies, municipalities, attorneys, and private equity lenders.
Jacinto also served as Vice President at MUFG Union Bank and Far East National Bank where he engaged in all aspects of vendor review and approval, appraisal engagement, review, developing policies and procedures, portfolio monitoring, environment and construction review, disposition of special assets, underwriting, and regulatory compliance through engagement with federal regulators for real projects across all asset types nationwide.
Jacinto has conducted research, prepared appraisals, reviewed, consulted, and/or completed inspections of numerous property types nationwide, which include a wide variety of commercial land, subdivisions, multifamily apartments, health care facilities, auto dealerships, hotels, parking garages and surface lots, industrial properties, mobile home parks, self-storage facilities, office buildings, retail properties, special purpose facilities, air and water rights, synthetic leases, and various other stand-alone commercial assets.
Additionally, Jacinto has worked with financial institutions in a consulting role to aide in the establishment of a robust appraisal, environmental, and construction program as an “Outsourced Chief Appraiser”, which was intended to establish safe and sound appraisal protocols.
Russell Zellner is a founding partner and the Managing Director of the West Coast Region for Cogito Realty Partners. Mr Zellner joins with roughly 20 years of experience in the property valuation field. Mr. Zellner’s experience comprises all major property types and asset classes throughout Southern and Central California, with a focus on multifamily.
Prior to joining Cogito Realty Partners Mr. Zellner was most recently a Managing Director of Apprise, a Walker & Dunlop company.; specifically, he extended the national presence of the Appraise platform on the West Coast with a focus on Southern California. He also served as Regional Appraisal Manager and Vice President of Chase Bank’s CTL group in the Irvine office, where he directed all aspects of appraisal production, quality and compliance and provided valuation services to internal clients. Mr. Zellner started at Chase Bank as a Senior Review Appraiser prior to his promotion to Regional Appraisal Manager.
Mr. Zellner previously served as a Director of Valuation at Karma Real Estate, Inc’s Long Beach, CA office and he began the first nine years of his valuation career at CBRE as a Senior Appraiser.
Mr. Zellner graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Phoenix – Los Angeles. He is a Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI & AI-GRS) and is a Certified General Appraiser in California.
Donald Lee is a Managing Director and Principal for Cogito Realty Partners and oversees the New York market. Mr. Lee brings 20+ years of experience in the property valuation and consultancy fields and is responsible for valuing all types of rental housing properties. Mr. Lee’s experience comprises all property types and asset classes, with a focus on multifamily properties including garden-style and mid-rise apartment buildings, urban high-rise assets, and mixed-use assets in the New York and Tri-State area. He specializes in appraisals that meet the compliance requirements of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and balance sheet lenders.
Mr. Lee most recently served as the Senior Director at Apprise by Walker & Dunlop’s New York City’s-based multifamily valuation team. Prior to joining Apprise, Mr. Lee was a Director and the New York Multifamily Practice Leader for BBG, Inc. There, he was responsible for leading multifamily valuation for the firm’s New York presence.
He also led the training and development of numerous junior appraisers into successful fee appraisers. Prior to joining BBG, he was an Executive Vice President at Metropolitan Valuation Services (MVS). Throughout his career, Mr. Lee has consistently been named amongst his employer’s top-producing appraisers. He is also widely recognized and sought after by industry processionals as one of the leading multifamily experts regarding New York City’s rent regulation laws.
Mr. Lee earned his Bachelors of Business Administration with a major in Finance from Bernard M. Baruch School of Business (CUNY). He is a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and a Candidate for Designation with the Appraisal Institute.
John Biordi is a Managing Director in the East Coast Region for Cogito Realty Partners. Mr. Biordi joins with over 22 years of experience in real estate, and over 18 years ov experience in the property valuation field. Mr. Biordi’s appraisal experience comprises all major property types and asset classes throughout NY and NJ. Appraisals have been prepared for financing, estate, valuation, litigation purposes, tax certiorari, title insurance and purchase due diligence.
Mr. Biordi has also provided appraisal review services throughout the country.
Prior to joining Cogito Realty Partners, Mr. Biordi was working as a Sr. Commercial Appraisal Review Specialist at First Republic Bank/JPMC, where he provided consulting and appraisal review services for the bank’s east and west coast’s internal clients.
Mr. Biordi’s previous experience also includes being Senior Appraiser at Blake and Ianccio, LLC, and Staff Appraiser at Goodman Marks, Inc.
Additionally, Mr. Biordi has been a Board Member of the Long Island Chapter of the Apprisal Institute since 2012, including his role as Chapter President in 2020 and 2021. He also serves on the Regional and National Boards of the Appraisal Institute.
Mr. Biordi graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Banking & Finance) from Hofstra University. He is a Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI & AI-GRS) and is a Certified General Appraiser in New York State.
Directors
Nora Derian is a Senior Director based out of the Northeast region with specialized experience in appraising commercial properties throughout New York City with a focus on multifamily assets.
Prior to joining Cogito Realty Partners, Ms. Derian was a Director at Apprise by Walker and Dunlop where she produced, reviewed, trained, and helped develop appraisal technology to improve the quality of reports for numerous clients in the banking, asset management, and consulting fields.
Ms. Derian was most recently a Director of the New York City team for Apprise, a Walker & Dunlop company.
Ms. Derian started her appraisal career at Metropolitan Valuation Services and continued to become an Associate at BBG, Inc.
Ms. Derian graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a dual-concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the State University at Albany (SUNY Albany). She is a Candidate for Designation of the Appraisal Institute and is a Certified General Appraiser in New York.
Leslie Tontini is a Director with the West Coast office for Cogito Realty Partners. Mrs. Tontini joins us with over 10 years of appraisal experience for lending, litigation, condemnation, and estate planning. Mrs. Tontini’s valuation expertise covers a broad spectrum of property types, including multifamily, industrial, cannabis properties, retail spaces, office properties, and vacant land, among others.
Prior to joining Cogito Realty Partners Mrs. Tontini was a Senior Appraiser at CBRE Inc., where she prepared summary and restricted appraisal reports for a range of lending, agency, and private clients, with a primary focus on multifamily, student housing, low-income housing, and industrial properties.
Mrs. Tontini was most recently the Business Training Director for CBRE, Inc. Valuation & Advisory Services, where she was instrumental in the on-going implementation of a new operating platform by creating change management and training plans for the initiative. Additionally, she developed a comprehensive new hire curriculum for all levels of the valuation business line.
Mrs. Tontini began her appraisal career at Grubb & Ellis and has since accumulated valuable experience with several reputable companies.
Mrs. Tontini graduated with a Master of Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science in Management and Human Resources from California Polytechnic University. Additionally, she is a Certified General Appraiser in California.
Associate Director
Associate Director
Nicolas Lorusso joined Cogito Realty Partners as an analyst in 2022 and currently holds the position of Associate Director. Mr. Lorusso has worked on a diverse range of complex appraisal assignments with Cogito Realty Partners, including Right-of-Way and litigation appraisals for both private and public clients.
Mr. Lorusso has performed valuation services for various purposes, including lending transactions, market rent studies, litigation support, eminent domain, and tax appeals. His work encompasses a broad spectrum of property types, with a focus on multifamily assets.
Mr. Lorusso graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in management and a minor in real estate from The California State Polytechnic University of Pomona. He earned his California Certified General Real Estate Appraiser License in 2025 and is also a licensed Real Estate Salesperson in the state of California.
Mr. Lorusso entered the real estate field in 2021, where he worked for a real estate investment company. During his time here, his focus was on the disposition of single-family assets.
Associates
JAKE CORRIEA
Associate
ELISSA ELIAS
Associate