Claudia Bakely is the Flint Hills District Superintendent for the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church, a position she has held since 2013. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Rev. Bakely spent 25 years as a nurse before going into ministry. She holds a Masters of Divinity from St. Paul’s School of Theology and was ordained in 2006. Prior to her time as District Superintendent, Rev. Bakely served United Methodist Churches in the Kansas towns of Tonganoxie, Emporia and Basehor. She also served as chair of Kansas East Conference Global Ministries, a role that allowed her to do ministry work in Mexico and Haiti.