BELTWAY BIZ

Heading South: Edison Fund, which opened an office in Washington last year, has invested $1.9 million in Database Solutions, a Richmond, Va., expansion-stage software company specializing in database monitoring.

Heading North: Off in the opposite direction is Tysons financier George DeVaux, who has relocated temporarily to Canada to help manage explosive growth in his two-year-old biotech deal.

Heading to the Green: It's golf tournament time, with TechData's annual event and Jim and Judy Leto's benefit for Inova's Pediatric Services on the schedule. Fast 50 CEOs are signing up for the Third Annual Fast 50 CEO Council Tournament on Aug. 19, including sponsor John Sanders, TechNews chairman. The Fast 50 Council is an organization of CEOs from all the fastest-growing technology companies in the Washington market as recognized by Washington Technology's annual Fast 50 list.

Long, Hot Election: The bi-partisan Northern Virginia ticket for governor and lieutenant governor is shaping up in the candidacies of Democrat Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, running to replace Gov. George Allen; and WorldCorp CEO Coleman Andrews, a Republican, going for Beyer's job. Tech executives being solicited for support are already muttering about state statutes allowing unlimited contributions.

Chumming Around: Washington's NetDay ?96 Chairperson Theresa Willyard, a Boeing Information Services professional, appeared on the star-studded program of the national NetDay ?96 conference in Washington June 29, along with Vice President Al Gore, Education Secretary Bob Reilly and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt. Hundt cracked up the audience by introducing Gore as an old St. Albans high school buddy, then assuring them this was strictly coincidental to Hundt ?s receiving the FCC appointment.

A Master Entrepreneur: Bill Gorog, chairman and CEO USOrder was honored as Master Entrepreneur at Ernst &amp Young's annual awards dinner June 27.

Closing Remarks: America Online's Mark Walsh, vice president of operations, starred as lunch speaker at the Washington Internet Business Summit on June 28.

The former GE Information Systems executive brought down the house with his closing slide,

"Shift... happens."

Whisper softly in the ear of Beltway Biz. Tips and tattles are always welcome at technews@technews.com. Please put "Beltway Biz" in the subject line.