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                                                                    Exhibit 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Robert B. Nolen, Jr., certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB of
                  Pinnacle Bancshares, Inc.;

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
                  statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
                  necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
                  circumstances under which such statements were made, not
                  misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
                  financial information included in this report, fairly present
                  in all material respects the financial condition, results of
                  operations and cash flows of the small business issuer as of,
                  and for, the periods presented in this report;

         4.       The small business issuer's other certifying officers and I
                  are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure
                  controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
                  13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) for the small business issuer and
                  have:

                           a)       designed such disclosure controls and
                                    procedures, or caused such disclosure
                                    controls and procedures to be designed under
                                    our supervision, to ensure that material
                                    information relating to the small business
                                    issuer, including its consolidated
                                    subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
                                    within those entities, particularly during
                                    the period in which this report is being
                                    prepared;

                           b)       evaluated the effectiveness of the small
                                    business issuer's disclosure controls and
                                    procedures and presented in this report our
                                    conclusions about the effectiveness of the
                                    disclosure controls and procedures, as of
                                    the end of the period covered by this report
                                    based on such evaluation; and

                           c)       disclosed in this report any change in the
                                    small business issuer's internal control
                                    over financial reporting that occurred
                                    during the small business issuer's most
                                    recent fiscal quarter (the small business
                                    issuer's fourth fiscal quarter in the case
                                    of an annual report) that has materially
                                    affected, or is reasonably likely to
                                    materially affect, the small business
                                    issuer's internal control over financial
                                    reporting; and

         5.       The small business issuer's other certifying officers and I
                  have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of
                  internal control over financial reporting, to the small
                  business issuer's auditors and the audit committee of the
                  small business issuer's board of directors (or persons
                  performing the equivalent functions):

                           a)       All significant deficiencies and material
                                    weaknesses in the design or operation of
                                    internal control over financial reporting
                                    which are reasonably likely to adversely
                                    affect the small business issuer's ability
                                    to record, process, summarize and report
                                    financial information; and

                           b)       any fraud, whether or not material, that
                                    involves management or other employees who
                                    have a significant role in the small
                                    business issuer's internal control over
                                    financial information.

Date: August 14, 2003



                                                  BY:  /s/ Robert B. Nolen, Jr.
                                                      -------------------------
                                                           Robert B. Nolen, Jr.
                                            President & Chief Executive Officer
                                                   (Chief Executive Officer and
                                                       Chief Financial Officer)