# Exhibit 31.1

Rule 13a-14(a)
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer

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Exhibit 31.1

# Rule 13a-14(a)
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer

I, Frank W. Wingate, president and
chief executive officer, certify that:

|1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB of New Commerce Bancorp.
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|2. | Based on my knowledge, this 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 report;
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|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;
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|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:
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| | 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;
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| | 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
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| | 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 that has materially affected,
                    or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the small business issuers
                    internal control over financial reporting; and
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|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):
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| | a)       

                     All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation
                    of internal controls 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
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| | 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 reporting.
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|Date:  May 14, 2004 |  | By:   /s/  Frank W. Wingate          
|------------------- |  | -------------------------------------
|                    |  | Frank W. Wingate                     
|                    |  | President and Chief Executive Officer