Exhibit 31.1


      CERTIFICATION  OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE  OFFICER AS ADOPTED  PURSUANT TO SECTION
302(a) OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Jon S. Saltzman, certify that:

1.                I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of
                  Penn-America Group, Inc.

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 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 quarterly 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 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):

                  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  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: August 7, 2003                  /s/ Jon S. Saltzman
                                      ---------------------------
                                      Jon S. Saltzman
                                      President and Chief Executive Officer