Exhibit 31(a)

        Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification (Chief Executive Officer)

I, Michael C. Gerald, certify that:

      1.    I have  reviewed  this  quarterly  report  on Form  10-Q of  Coastal
            Financial Corporation;

      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  registrant  as of, and for,  the periods  presented in
            this report;

      4.    The registrant's  other certifying  officer(s) and I are responsible
            for establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures
            (as  defined in Exchange  Act Rules  13a-15e  and  15d-15e)  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;

                  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.

      5.    The registrant's  other certifying  officer(s) 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):

                  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

                  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: May 10, 2005                       /s/ Michael C. Gerald
            ------------                       ---------------------
                                               Michael C. Gerald
                                               President/Chief Executive Officer


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