Ownership Submission
FORM 3
 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF 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 *
  Hartheimer Robert Herman
 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
09/21/2010		 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
STERLING FINANCIAL CORP /WA/ [STSA]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
111 NORTH WALL STREET		 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

SPOKANE, WA 99201		 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 Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)		 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock (1) 120,000
D
 

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)		 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)		 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Convertible Participating Voting Preferred Stock, Series D   (2)   (2) Common Stock 1,380,000 $ (2) D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Hartheimer Robert Herman
111 NORTH WALL STREET
SPOKANE, WA 99201		   X      

Signatures

/s/ Karla J. Gehlen, attorney-in-fact 09/29/2010
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(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) 40,000 shares of common stock owned in an individual brokerage account, 80,000 shares of common stock owned in an individual retirement account for the benefit of Mr. Hartheimer.
(2) Robert Hartheimer owns 3,000 shares of Convertible Participating Voting Preferred Stock, Series D (2,000 shares owned in an individual brokerage account, 1,000 shares owned in an individual retirement account for the benefit of Mr. Hartheimer), no par value with a liquidation preference of $4.60 per share (the "Series D Stock") (1,380,000 shares of Common Stock on an as-converted basis). Each share of Series D Stock mandatorily converts into 460 shares of Common Stock, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments, upon the approval of the holders of the Common Stock of (i) an increase in the number of authorized shares of Common Stock to at least 10,000,000,000 shares or a larger number that the Board of Directors determines in its reasonable judgment is necessary to permit STSA to comply with its obligations under agreements entered into in connection with certain recapitalization transactions that occurred on August 26, 2010, (ii) the conversion of shares of Series B Stock and Series D Stock into Common Stock, and (iii) the exercisability of certain outstanding warrants for shares of Common Stock (the "Shareholder Proposals"). On August 26, 2010, STSA sold 3,418,300 shares of Series B Convertible Participating Voting Preferred Stock, no par value with a liquidation preference $4.60 per share (the "Series B Stock") to certain investors in conjunction with the recapitalization transactions. Each share of Series B Stock mandatorily converts into 460 shares of Common Stock, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments, upon approval of the Shareholder Proposals.

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