One thing to keep in mind is that between January 15 and March 10th, the AO’s are very busy reading applications and making decisions. So I would avoid calling an AO now unless something is truly important, and cannot be answered by the main admissions phone line.
FWIW – I don’t think most applicants are being super proactive about communicating. I think showing up for zoom info sessions, meeting during the interview process, a thank you note, and then perhaps an emailed question throughout the process is what that AO meant when he said “getting to know you during the process.” I would not sweat it, and I would definitely not “look for reasons” to connect or ask questions. I think that would not be helpful and could actually have the opposite effect.