Sterling Savings Bank Ranked Highest in Northwest for Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates

SPOKANE, Wash.--(Business Wire)--
J.D. Power and Associates ranked Sterling Savings Bank highest in customer
satisfaction for the Northwest region in its 2010 Retail Banking Satisfaction
Study.SM

Sterling Savings Bank, a subsidiary of Sterling Financial Corporation
(Nasdaq:STSA) of Spokane, Wash., ranked highest in customer satisfaction across
the Northwest region. Sterling performed well in the following customer
satisfaction study factors: account activities, account information, facility,
fees and product offerings. Sterling`s score was 34 index points above the
Northwest regional industry banking average of 733.

"We are pleased with the results of the study by J.D. Power and Associates,"
said Ezra Eckhardt, president and chief operating officer of Sterling Savings
Bank. "These results demonstrate that our customers appreciate our focused
commitment to provide banking relationships built on trust. At Sterling, we
provide customers with knowledgeable bankers and offer fair and competitive
products that are convenient and easy to use. While receiving the highest
ranking from J.D. Power and Associates certainly is gratifying, our greatest
reward is in being second-to-none in our customers` minds every day."

Sterling Savings Bank serves customers from northern California to the Canadian
border and from central Montana to the Pacific coast, and has 178 branches
across its four-and-a-half-state footprint.

J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company
operating in key business sectors, including market research, forecasting,
consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm`s quality and
satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of customers
annually.

Sterling Savings Bank received the highest numerical score among retail banks in
the Northwest region in the syndicated J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Retail
Banking Satisfaction StudySM based on 1,903 total responses measuring six
providers in J.D. Power and Associates` Northwest region (Oregon and Washington)
and measures opinions of consumers with their primary banking provider.
Syndicated study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers
surveyed in January 2010. Customer experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

About Sterling Financial Corporation

Sterling Financial Corporation of Spokane, Wash., is the bank holding company
for Sterling Savings Bank, a commercial bank, and Golf Savings Bank, a savings
bank focused on single-family mortgage originations. Both banks are state
chartered and federally insured. Sterling offers banking products and services,
mortgage lending, construction financing and investment products to individuals,
small businesses, commercial organizations and corporations. As of March 31,
2010, Sterling Financial Corporation had assets of $10.56 billion and operated
178 depository branches throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and
California. Visit Sterling`s website at
www.sterlingfinancialcorporation-spokane.com.

Sterling Financial Corporation
Investor Contacts:
Daniel G. Byrne, EVP/Chief Financial Officer, 509-458-3711
or
David Brukardt, EVP/Investor & Corporate Relations, 509-863-5423
or
Media Contact:
Cara Coon, VP/Communications and Public Affairs Director, 509-626-5348

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