The history and mission of the Florida Developmental Education Association, an affiliate of the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE), began in the spring of 1977 when Reginald Touchton, of then Florida Junior College at Jacksonville, had the idea for organizing developmental educators around the State of Florida. He met with a group of teachers and administrators involved with developmental courses, all of whom were interested in forming a state-wide grassroots group to help faculty, counselors, and learning lab staff share information, ideas, and success stories. Administrators were invited to provide an insight into the larger political, fiscal, and structural issues associated with developmental education. Based on this perceived interest in establishing a formal group, an Executive Board of volunteers was established to plan a state-wide conference. Read More at About FDEA.