Tavares received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Roger Williams University.
[2] When MLB took control of the Montreal Expos, Tavares was hired as team president to facilitate the sale of the franchise to new ownership.
[4] Tavares became the president and chief executive officer of the Sports Properties Acquisition Corporation.
In 2011, Tavares was named the interim president of the Dallas Stars of the NHL, when they were in the process of being sold.
[1][5][6] Later that year, he joined with Jerry Reinsdorf to form a group that explored purchasing the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL during their bankruptcy.