**Exhibit 31.1**

**SOUTHERN HERITAGEBANCSHARES, INC.CERTIFICATION - PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER**

I, J. Lee Stewart, certify that:

1.             I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-KSB ofSouthern Heritage Bancshares, Inc.

2.             Based on my knowledge, this annual report does notcontain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a materialfact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances underwhich such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period coveredby this report;

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

4.             The small business issuer’s othercertifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintainingdisclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15eand 15d-15e) for the small business issuer and have:

                a)             Designedsuch disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that materialinformation relating to the small business issuer, including its consolidatedsubsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularlyduring the period in which this report is being prepared;

                b)            Evaluatedthe effectiveness of the small business issuer’s disclosure controls andprocedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectivenessof the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period coveredby this report based on such evaluation; and

                c)             Disclosedin this report any change in the small business issuer’s internal control overfinancial reporting that occurred during the small business issuer’s fourthfiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely tomaterially affect, the small business issuer’s internal control over financialreporting; and

5.             The small business issuer’s other certifying officersand I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal controlover financial reporting, to the small business issuer’s auditors and the auditcommittee of the small business issuer’s board of directors:

                a)             allsignificant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation ofinternal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely toadversely affect the small business issuer’s ability to record, process,summarize and report financial information; and

                b)            any fraud, whether or not material, that involvesmanagement or other employees who have a significant role in the small businessissuer’s internal control over financial reporting.
| Date: April 23, 2007 | Signature: |  /s/ J. Lee  Stewart           |
|----------------------|------------|-------------------------------------|
|                 |       | J. Lee Stewart, President and Chief |
|                 |       | Executive Officer                   |

 

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