The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., better known as Freddie Mac, announced it has appointed Heidi Mason as executive vice president and general counsel. Mason, a Greater Des Moines resident and Iowa State University alumna, brings 25 years of experience in mortgage lending, financial services, consumer protection and securities law to Freddie Mac, which is based in McLean, Va. She will join the government-sponsored enterprise on March 7. She was previously a partner with ElevateNext Law, a majority-woman-owned law firm, where she provided legal, consulting and regulatory compliance services to financial services companies across the United States. Before that, she spent 17 years with Wells Fargo as executive vice president and senior deputy general counsel. Mason received a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and her juris doctorate from Georgetown Law Center. Freddie Mac makes homes possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Mason, who moved back to Des Moines in 2017 while with Wells Fargo, said she will keep her permanent residence in Des Moines and spend time in both Virginia and Iowa. “I’m a big fan of Des Moines,” she said.