I, E. Lee Beard, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Northeast Pennsylvania Financial Corp.;
2. Based on my knowledge, the quarterly 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 quarterly report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly
         present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
         for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;
4. The registrant'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 registrant and have: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 registrant, 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;Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant'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; andDisclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred
                  during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                  report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
                  control over financial reporting; and
5. 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 registrant, 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;
6. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant'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
7. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred
                  during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                  report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
                  control over financial reporting; and
8. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons
performing the equivalent functions):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 registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and
                  report financial information; andAny fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
9. 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 registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and
                  report financial information; and
10. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

|Date: August 19, 2003 | /s/ E. Lee Beard                                              
|--------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------
|                      | E. Lee Beard                                                  
|                      | President, Chief Executive Officer and chief financial officer