Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
EISENHART WILLIAM L
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
STERLING FINANCIAL CORP /WA/ [STSA]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
111 N. WALL STREET
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/18/2014
(Street)

SPOKANE, WA 99201
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 04/18/2014   D   17,088 D (1) 0 D  

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Non-Qualified Stock Option $ 21.76 04/18/2014   D     2,626 04/01/2014 04/29/2023 Common Stock 2,626 $ 0 0 D  
Non-Qualified Stock Option $ 2,189.22 04/18/2014   D(2)     31 01/31/2008 03/15/2017 Common Stock 31 $ 0 0 D  
Non-Qualified Stock Option $ 1,696.86 04/18/2014   D(2)     31 12/19/2005 12/18/2015 Common Stock 31 $ 0 0 D  
Non-Qualified Stock Option $ 1,763.08 04/18/2014   D(2)     46 12/21/2005 02/28/2015 Common Stock 46 $ 0 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
EISENHART WILLIAM L
111 N. WALL STREET
SPOKANE, WA 99201
  X      

Signatures

 /s/ Lara L. Hemingway, attorney-in-fact   04/22/2014
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Common stock of Sterling Financial Corporation ("Sterling") disposed of in connection with the merger of Sterling with and into Umpqua Holdings Corporation ("Umpqua") on April 18, 2014 pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 11, 2013, between Sterling and Umpqua, each share of Sterling's common stock was exchanged for $2.18 in cash and 1.671 shares of Umpqua common stock.
(2) This stock option was cancelled pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger. These options carried exercise prices that were significantly in excess of the value of the merger consideration. Sterling received permission from the award recipient to cancel the award prior to the effective date of the merger.

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