Meet Our Team Members

Joseph R. L. Passerino is President and CEO of the IPS companies which include IPS Commercial Capital, Inc., IPS Realty Group, IPS Funding and IPS Asset Management. He has over 28 years of Real Estate lending, sales, and management experience.

Prior to starting IPS, Mr. Passerino was Sr. Vice President Chief Lending Officer and National Production Manager of a national bank. He increased loan production from $75 Million per year to over $1.6 Billion per year in 5 years, operated and managed four regional lending offices nationwide including personnel staff of approximately 500, opening commercial and construction divisions funding over $375 Million per year, co-authored new residential Alt A and Sub Prime underwriting guidelines, 125% lending guidelines and income capital underwriting guidelines and operating procedures, updated bank policies and procedures manuals for the bank, held position of President for the Committee Reinvestment Act (CRA), assisted in preparing the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO), Senior member of Asset Management and Credit Division for the bank with assets in excess of $2.8 Billion, oversaw the Real Estate Owned (REO) division, and senior member of Credit Committee with signature authority up to $5 million.

IPS has regional offices in Riverside, California; San Pedro, California.

Fred E. Cimino has over 35 years of experience in the professional fields of finance, insurance and real estate lending. Mr. Cimino has been associated with the IPS companies since its inception. Previously he worked with two institutional commercial investors specializing in the origination, analyzation and funding of commercial loans. In addition, he was involved with the opening of satellite offices, commercial bulk purchases and secondary market negotiations. Currently, Mr. Cimino oversees the entire commercial lending division for IPS Commercial Capital, Inc.

Susan R. Smith is Vice President of Operations of the IPS companies which include IPS Commercial Capital, Inc., IPS Realty Group, IPS Funding and IPS Asset Management. She has over 18 years of Real Estate Lending and management experience.

Prior to starting with IPS, Mrs. Smith worked for a national bank, first as Underwriting Supervisor and then as Operations manager for their Western region. She brings with her extensive knowledge of lending operations from origination through funding of all product types, and property types. She was a member of the Credit Committee, and Disaster Recovery Team. She was granted exception authority for loans up to $1,000,000.
Involved with spearheading many projects to automate outdated systems and analyze the current lending structure and reorganize to produce more efficient and higher quality customer service.

Joseph (Joey) Zanotti has over 20 years of experience in multi family and commercial financing. Mr. Zanotti was a correspondent for two California based institutions and he received Top Producer awards at both companies.

From 1993 to 2001 Mr. Zanotti owned and managed a commercial and multi family brokerage firm in the South Bay. Mr. Zanotti sold his interest in his company and was contracted by IPS to do the same thing he did before. Build a branch office in the South Bay region. Mr. Zanotti joined IPS in July 2003. His office originates multi family and commercial loans throughout Southern California.

Mr. Zanotti has an extensive background in owning and managing income property for the past 20 years, creating and selling mortgage backed securities as well as other financial instruments.

Mr. Zanotti received his BA in 1977 from UC Irvine and his MFA in 1979 from California University at Long Beach.