Education
University of Michigan. Wayne State University.
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Jim Lites
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He was formerly the president of, and president of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball, all of which are holdings of Tom Hicks. Lites was briefly President and chief operating officer of the Phoenix Coyotes from March through December 2002. He was brought back as president of the Dallas Stars on November 18, 2011 when the club was sold to Tom Gaglardi.
Lites had previously served as an executive in the front office of the Detroit Red Wings during the 1980s.
He was instrumental in bringing Czechoslovakian defector Petr Klima to the National Hockey League. Lites holds a bachelor"s degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Lites was formerly married to attorney Denise Ilitch, the daughter of Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch.
Lites left Red Wings organization following the divorce. The Dallas Stars had a mediocre start to the 2007–2008 National Hockey League season, initially going 7–7–3.
On November 13, 2007, after a meltdown by the team in Los Angeles (losing 6–5 in OT after leading 4–0 with 7 minutes remaining in the game), Lites dismissed General Manager Doug Armstrong, and replaced them with the tandem of Brett Hull and Les Jackson.
The next day, team owner and chairman Tom Hicks reassigned Lites to head Lites oversees the sponsorship and marketing of the Dallas Stars and did so for Texas Rangers, Liverpool Football Club and Mesquite Championship Rodeo until they were sold.
