Nancy K. Mellon

Nancy Mellon is the Founder and Head of School of The River School and the Executive Director of Potomac River Clinic and the National Center for Hearing Innovation. In 1992, her son, Will, was born with profound hearing loss. At age two, Will received a cochlear implant and went on to thrive with exceptional individualized support. Inspired by his experience, Nancy envisioned a school where children with hearing loss could learn alongside typically hearing peers while receiving the full range of support they need.

When The River School opened its doors in January 2000, it became the first independent school in the country to educate children with hearing loss in fully inclusive classrooms. In 2010, when Potomac River Clinic relocated to within The River School, Nancy also became its Executive Director, deepening her commitment to integrating education and clinical care. In the same year, the National Center for Hearing Innovation was founded.

Nancy holds a master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Johns Hopkins University, and from 1994 to 2001, she served as Clinical Coordinator of the Listening Center, the cochlear implant program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where her son was one of the first pediatric cochlear implant patients. Nancy’s work is driven by her unwavering belief in the power of innovation, research, and inclusion.