Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION UNDER EXCHANGE ACT
RULE 13a-15ANDSECTION
302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Robert F. Baronner, Jr., Chief
Executive Officer, certify that:

|1.I have reviewed this annual report on Form
      10-K of Potomac Bancshares, Inc.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
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|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 annual 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 registrant as of, and for, the periods
      presented in this report;                          
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|4.     The registrants other certifying officer
      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:                                                                                            

| | 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
      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;         
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| |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
| | b)     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                                                                                                          
| |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
| | c)     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
| |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

|5.The registrants other certifying officer
      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 registrant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 control over
      financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
      registrant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 registrants internal control over financial
      reporting.                                                                                                     
| |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

|Date | March 24, 2006 |  | /s/ Robert F. Baronner, Jr.   | 
|---- | -------------- |  | ----------------------------- | 
|     |                |  | Robert F. Baronner,
      Jr. | 
|     |                |  | Chief Executive
      Officer | 

A signed original of this written
statement required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has been
provided to Potomac Bancshares, Inc. and will be retained and furnished to the
Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

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