THOMASVILLE — It was an event that was a century in the making — and one that may set a tone for future generations.

Imagine Thomasville, the combination of the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce and the Thomasville Payroll Development Authority, both honored its past, present and its future Thursday morning. Along with the burial of a time capsule on the Chamber grounds, the Chamber also dedicated a bench to longtime director, the late Lloyd Eckberg, as part of its centennial observance.

Eckberg, who guided the Chamber for 25 years, passed away in February at the age of 92. The present Chamber of Commerce saluted Eckberg for the vision he had and the passion he also displayed for both the Chamber and the community.

“Lloyd loved the Chamber and he loved Thomasville,” said his widow, Marie Cohen Eckberg, “the best city in the whole world.”

“He absolutely loved the Chamber of Commerce,” said Andrea Collins, the current executive director. 

Added Thomasville Mayor Jay Flowers, “We couldn’t have asked for a better ambassador than Lloyd Eckberg. He truly represented us so well.”

Collins said she got a chance to connect with Eckberg about two years ago. 

“I want to make sure that we continue on with the traditions that were created under his tenure,” she said, “while evolving to meet the needs of a new generation.”

Collins said Eckberg told her he was proud of what the Chamber has accomplished.

“It has been a rocky road,” she said, “not just for the Chamber but every community through COVID.”

Collins added that Eckberg’s son Tim related how happy his father was with the current Chamber team.

“And that means more than any dedication, more than any donation,” Collins said, “the words of affirmation to know that we are on the right track, coming from someone who served so many years in the Chamber is just priceless.” 

Tim Eckberg recalled his days as a youth at the Chamber building when his father ran the organization, and the volunteer labor his sister Sharri contributed stuffing envelopes for events such as the Rose Festival.

“It was a labor of love,” Tim Eckberg said. 

He remembered the many ceremonies at the Chamber where, as a Boy Scout, he helped raise the colors.

“This building holds a very special meaning for me. It’s even more beautiful now than it was 50 years ago,” Eckberg said. “There was a lot of brain power going on in this building, a lot of energy resonating between the walls.” 

Tim Eckberg also recalled a speech his father gave to the Perry, Florida, Chamber of Commerce.

What struck Tim Eckberg was that his father’s speech just wasn’t a boiler plate address.

“It’s a blueprint, a true masterpiece, a road map on community development,” he said. “He was very passionate about the words he put in there and he gave very specific details about what Perry and Taylor County needed to do.”

Eckberg’s daughter Sharri Kendrick presented her father’s Certified Chamber Executive pins to Collins and PDA executive director Shelley Zorn, who was unable to attend. There are only about 500 Certified Chamber Executives in the nation, Kendrick pointed out.

“It is also a tangible reminder of his vision for this city’s future,” Kendrick said. “He recognized that the two of you will play an integral part in the future and he was excited about the direction of your leadership. He wanted nothing more than to be present and to hand them over to you. But I know he is smiling down from heaven and will forever cheer you on as you continue to advance the cause of his beloved Thomasville.”

The time capsule includes photographs, letters from Thomasville residents, photographs, and predictions. It is also part of the international time capsule registration, complete with its coordinates. 

“It is a momentous and once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Chansidy Daniels, who chairs the Chamber’s board of directors. “It is an intentional and meaningful way for us to preserve the past for future generations, for them to take a glimpse of who we are, who we were, the things we did and the way we did them.” 

Anne McCudden, executive director of the Thomasville History Center, acknowledged how much Thomasville loves its history and understands the importance of history and preservation. 

“I think you have done an excellent job of compiling it all together,” she said of the time capsule.

For Flowers, the time capsule is a way for those in 2032 to see what people in 2022 held as values. 

“We are here to celebrate the past and the future and that’s what this box is about,” he said. “It’s about us putting things and notes and recollections and things that mean something to us that we hope will mean something to them 100 years from now. 

“We’re trying to tell the future generations what we think is important and what we hold dear.” 

Thomas County Commission Chairman Mark NeSmith said the community still will be thriving in 100 years, if the same level of effort is put into making it what it is today.

“It is a place where we want to live, where we want to work and where we want to raise our families. And not every community can say that,” NeSmith said. “I hope that when the contents of the capsule are viewed, 100 years from now, that those who view it will realize that there were people long before them who were working tirelessly for the community to be the place it is. We appreciate all that everyone in this community does to make it the place where we want to live, not have to live.”