<PAGE>

                                                                 Exhibit 31.1
                                CERTIFICATION
                                -------------

I, Laurence A. Schiffer, certify that;

1.  I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB of PGI,
    Incorporated;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this quarterly 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 quarterly
    report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
    financial information included in this quarterly 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 quarterly report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officers 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)  reserved for future use;
    c)  evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
        controls and procedures and presented in this quarterly report our
        conclusions about effectiveness of the controls and procedures, as
        of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report based on
        such evaluation; and
    d)  disclosed in this quarterly 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
        registrants internal control over financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant's other certifying officers 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 controls over financial reporting.


/s/ Laurence A. Schiffer                                       August 14, 2003
------------------------
Laurence A. Schiffer
Principal Executive Officer


                                     19