EXHIBIT 31(a)

                          CEO CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                            RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)



I, Robert E. Evans, certify that:

1.  I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Peoples Bancorp
    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 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 the
    registrant's board of directors:


             (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: November 12, 2003        By:/s/ ROBERT E. EVANS
                                      -------------------------------------
                                      Robert E. Evans
                                      Chairman
                                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                                      (Principal Executive Officer)