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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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * RUSNAK PATRICK J   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol STERLING FINANCIAL CORP /WA/ [STSA] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chief Financial Officer (Last) (First) (Middle) 111 NORTH 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   14,232 D (1) 0 D   Common Stock 04/18/2014   D   14 D (1) 0 I 401k Plan Common Stock (ESPP) 04/18/2014   D   1,151 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)

7,005

04/29/2014

04/29/2023

Common Stock

7,005

$ 0

0

D

Restricted Stock Unit

(3)

04/18/2014

D

7,352

(3)

(3)

Common Stock

7,352

$ 0

0

D

Restricted Stock Unit

(3)

04/18/2014

D

2,810

(3)

03/13/2015

Common Stock

2,810

$ 0

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
RUSNAK PATRICK J 111 NORTH WALL STREET SPOKANE, WA 99201			Chief Financial Officer

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)	Nonqualified stock options of Sterling disposed of pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger. Each Sterling stock option will be converted into an option to purchase Umpqua common stock per the equity award exchange ratio as referred to in the Agreement and Plan of Merger.
(3)	Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") of Sterling disposed of pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger. Each Sterling RSU will be converted into an Umpqua RSU per the equity award exchange ratio as referred to in the Agreement and Plan of Merger.

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