Exhibit        31.1

 

CERTIFICATIONS

 

I, Joseph        V. Taranto, certify that:

 

|   | 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Everest                        Reinsurance Holdings, 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 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(s) 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: |
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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 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; and

         

|   | 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 the 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

         

         

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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.

 

 

March 31,        2008

 

> 
/s/ JOSEPH V. TARANTO

Joseph V. Taranto

Chairman and

      Chief Executive Officer

             

         

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