EXHIBIT 99.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer

Pursuant to
Section 111(b)(4) of the

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

I, Patrick J. Rusnak, the Chief Financial Officer of Sterling Financial Corporation, certify, based on my knowledge, that:



| | i) | The compensation committee of Sterling Financial Corporation has discussed, reviewed, and evaluated with senior risk officers at least every six months during any part
of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period, the senior executive officer (SEO) compensation plans and the employee compensation plans and the risks these plans pose to Sterling Financial Corporation;
| | -- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | ii) | The compensation committee of Sterling Financial Corporation has identified and limited during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP
period any features of the SEO compensation plans that could lead SEOs to take unnecessary and excessive risks that could threaten the value of Sterling Financial Corporation and has identified any features of the employee compensation plans that
pose risks to Sterling Financial Corporation and has limited those features to ensure that Sterling Financial Corporation is not unnecessarily exposed to risks;
| | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | iii) | The compensation committee has reviewed, at least every six months during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period, the terms of each
employee compensation plan and identified any features of the plan that could encourage the manipulation of reported earnings of Sterling Financial Corporation to enhance the compensation of an employee, and has limited any such features;
| | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | iv) | The compensation committee of Sterling Financial Corporation will certify to the reviews of the SEO compensation plans and employee compensation plans required under
(i) and (iii) above;
| | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | v) | The compensation committee of Sterling Financial Corporation will provide a narrative description of how it limited during any part of the most recently completed
fiscal year that included a TARP period the features in:
| | -- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (a) | SEO compensation plans that could lead SEOs to take unnecessary and excessive risks that could threaten the value of Sterling Financial Corporation;
| | --- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (b) | Employee compensation plans that unnecessarily expose Sterling Financial Corporation to risks; and
| | --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (c) | Employee compensation plans that could encourage the manipulation of reported earnings of Sterling Financial Corporation to enhance the compensation of an employee;
| | --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | vi) | Sterling Financial Corporation has required that bonus payments to SEOs or any of the next twenty most highly compensated employees, as defined in the
regulations and guidance established under section 111 of EESA (bonus payments), be subject to a recovery or clawback provision during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period if the bonus payments were
based on materially
| | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



1



---

| | inaccurate financial statements or any other materially inaccurate performance metric criteria;
| | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | vii) | Sterling Financial Corporation has prohibited any golden parachute payment, as defined in the regulations and guidance established under section 111 of EESA, to a SEO
or any of the next five most highly compensated employees during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period;
| | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | viii) | Sterling Financial Corporation has limited bonus payments to its applicable employees in accordance with section 111 of EESA and the regulations and guidance
established thereunder during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period;
| | ----- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | ix) | Sterling Financial Corporation and its employees have complied with the excessive or luxury expenditures policy, as defined in the regulations and guidance established
under section 111 of EESA, during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period; and any expenses that, pursuant to the policy, required approval of the board of directors, a committee of the board of directors, an SEO,
or an executive officer with a similar level of responsibility, were properly approved;
| | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | x) | Sterling Financial Corporation will permit a non-binding shareholder resolution in compliance with any applicable federal securities rules and regulations on the
disclosures provided under the federal securities laws related to SEO compensation paid or accrued during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period;
| | -- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | xi) | Sterling Financial Corporation will disclose the amount, nature, and justification for the offering during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was
a TARP period, of any perquisites, as defined in the regulations and guidance established under section 111 of EESA, whose total value exceeds $25,000 for any employee who is subject to the bonus payment limitations identified in paragraph (viii);
| | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | xii) | Sterling Financial Corporation will disclose whether Sterling Financial Corporation, the board of directors of Sterling Financial Corporation, or the compensation
committee of Sterling Financial Corporation has engaged during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period, a compensation consultant; and the services the compensation consultant or any affiliate of the compensation
consultant provided during this period;
| | ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | xiii) | Sterling Financial Corporation has prohibited the payment of any gross-ups, as defined in the regulations and guidance established under section 111 of EESA, to the
SEOs and the next twenty most highly compensated employees during any part of the most recently completed fiscal year that was a TARP period;
| | ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | xiv) | Sterling Financial Corporation has substantially complied with all other requirements related to employee compensation that are provided in the agreement between
Sterling Financial Corporation and Treasury, including any amendments;
| | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



2



---

| | xv) | Sterling Financial Corporation has submitted to Treasury a complete and accurate list of the SEOs and the twenty next most highly compensated employees for the current
fiscal year, with the non-SEOs ranked in descending order of level of annual compensation, and with the name, title, and employer of each SEO and most highly compensated employee identified; and
| | --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | xvi) | I understand that a knowing and willful false or fraudulent statement made in connection with this certification may be punished by fine, imprisonment, or both.
| | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 8, 2011.



STERLING FINANCIAL CORPORATION/s/    Patrick J. RusnakPatrick J. RusnakChief Financial Officer




3